


The Farmer and the Writer

by decadantcollectiondestiny



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-25
Updated: 2018-11-25
Packaged: 2019-08-28 23:04:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 32,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16732350
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/decadantcollectiondestiny/pseuds/decadantcollectiondestiny
Summary: When shy, timid Oliver moves to Stardew Valley in search of a new life, Elliott, an intelligent, intriguing writer who lives on the beach of Pelican Town immediately catches his attention. Follow Oliver as he navigates the twists and turns on the path from strangers to friends - and maybe even more.





	The Farmer and the Writer

When my grandfather handed me, his only grandson, a sealed envelope for me to keep until I felt “crushed by the burden of modern life,” I had no idea that XX years later, I would be moved into my own little farm in beautiful Stardew Valley, right next to the small village of Pelican Town.  
But here I was.  
It was my first day in Stardew Valley, I had finished my chores for the day, and I decided to go walk around town and introduce myself to the villagers.   
I met a lot of people that day, from a sweet young schoolteacher named Penny to a slightly arrogant athlete named Alex. But the most important person I met was one I met late that afternoon.  
I was on my way back home when I saw him. He was standing on the bridge over the river by the beach, looking at the water below. He was tall, with an elegant face, and wore a red coat with a green tie. But his most remarkable feature was his long auburn hair. It flowed over his shoulders and down his back in a cascade.   
I could do nothing but stand there in a daze. He was without a doubt one of the most attractive men I had ever seen. I immediately became extremely fidgety and began to shuffle back and forth. I was very hesitant to approach this handsome stranger, afraid I might embarrass myself in front of him.   
But I had a mission: to meet everyone in town. So I took a deep breath and stepped onto the bridge.  
I cleared my throat nervously. “Uh… hi,” I said. “I… just - I just moved here and I … I wanted to introduce myself…”  
“Ah,” said the man, smiling. “The new farmer we’ve all been expecting… and whose arrival has sparked many a conversation!”  
“Yep,” I said, laughing awkwardly. “Th-that’s me. My name’s Oliver.”  
“Hello Oliver,” he said. “I’m Elliott. I live in the little cabin by the beach. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” He extended his hand. I smiled and shook it.  
“Likewise,” I said. His hand was soft, with fine, strong fingers. “I’m… really looking forward to living here.”  
“Well, I’m certainly glad to hear that,” he said.   
I realized I was still holding his hand. I dropped it quickly and shoved my own hand into my pocket. “Yeah… thanks.”  
I stared at the ground, my mind scrambling for something else to say. I could feel the awkward tension growing as I struggled to open my mouth.   
Suddenly, I remembered that I had picked a few daffodils during my walk around town. “Umm…” I said as I rummaged in my backpack. “I found this… earlier… and I thought… you might like it?” I pulled out a daffodil and handed it to Elliott.   
He took it and examined it, making a face of slight disgust. “Hmmm, I’m not the biggest fan of this.”  
My face fell. “Oh…” I said, biting my lip and dropping my gaze to the ground. “I’m… sorry about that…”   
I felt myself on the verge of panic. “Uh…” I said. “I’d better… get going…” My resolve crumbled. Without waiting for a response from ELliott, I bolted. I I tore off down the road, past Marnie’s Ranch, through my plot of land, and into my farmhouse, slamming the door behind me. I was breathing hard, both from the desperate sprint back to the farm and from the encounter with Elliott.  
I sank weakly onto the bed, my mind flooded with the image of the handsome man with the long hair. My heart felt fluttery as I replayed our interaction over and over again in my head.   
Later that night, when I crawled into bed, I couldn’t stop thinking about the man called Elliott.  
As I finally drifted off to sleep, I was sure of one thing: I, Oliver, was absolutely smitten.

* * *

A few days later, I was wandering around town when I decided to check out the beach. I hadn’t been there much yet, and I wanted to see what I could find. Willy had given me a fishing pole earlier, so maybe I could do some fishing.   
As I crossed the bridge, I couldn’t help remembering the encounter I’d had with Elliott a few days earlier. I was half hoping, half fearing that I would meet him again, here on the beach where he lived.   
I walked onto the beach, my feet sinking into the sand. To my delight/alarm, I saw Elliott standing with his back to me, facing an unlit fire pit. He turned when he heard my footsteps.  
“Oh, hello Oliver!” he said.   
All confidence I may have had disappeared in an instant. I stood there, paralyzed. “...Hi,” I said quietly.  
“If I may think out loud for a moment,” said Elliott, gazing thoughtfully into the distance, “A great idea can pass through your head when you least expect it… but if your mind is too busy you might miss it.”  
I nodded, but said nothing.  
“Well,” said Elliott, “I really must get back to my work.”  
“Okaywelldon’tletmekeepyougoodbye,” I said in a rush, then turned and sprinted away from the beach as fast as I could.  
I ran to a tree near Sam’s house and pressed my back against it, breathing hard. Elliott’s presence had caught me completely by surprise, and I needed a moment to recover.  
Just then, Sam came out of his house. “Hey, Oliver!” he said.  
“Hi Sam,” I said. Sam was a handsome young man, with spiky blond hair and hazel eyes. He and I were starting to become friends, so I was able to talk to him just fine.   
Sam gave me a concerned look. “You okay? You seem out of breath.”  
“Yeah, I’m… fine.”  
“...You sure?”  
“Yeah. Don’t worry about it.”  
Sam shrugged. “Alright.” He sat down on the grass and stretched out his legs. “So, how’ve you been? How’s the farm life?”  
“It’s been great so far!” I said. “I’ve been making a lot of great friends.”  
Sam raised an eyebrow. “Anyone… special?” he asked with a wink.  
I felt my face go hot. I hoped I wasn’t blushing. “Umm, n-no, not… not really.”  
Sam gave me a sly smile. “Aw, come on,” he said. “I can tell already. Someone’s caught your eye, haven’t they?”  
I was definitely blushing now. I stared at the ground and said nothing.   
You can tell me,” said Sam. “I can keep a secret.”  
“...Promise?” I asked quietly.  
“Promise,” he nodded.   
I took a deep breath and rubbed the back of my neck. “I-... uh…” I tried to speak but the words caught in my throat. I simply could not say anything.   
In desperation, I looked at my wrist, even though I didn’t have a watch on. “Oh, shoot,” I sputtered. “I g- I gotta- I gotta go.”  
Sam looked surprised. “Right now?”  
“Y-yeah.” I began to edge away from Sam.   
“Okay then,” said a startled Sam. “I’ll see you later then?”  
“See you,” I managed to spit out before I hurried away as fast as I could.  
Back at home, I sat dejectedly on the bed. I hated that when things turned sour for me, my first instinct was to run away. I promised myself that the next time I got into an awkward situation, I wouldn’t run away. That was the only way I was ever going to get anywhere with anybody here in my new home.

* * *

I was at Pierre’s buying more parsnip seeds when I noticed his stock of tulip seeds for the first time. I decided to pick up a couple and plant them to give as gifts. Since I knew Elliott didn’t like daffodils, I hoped he would accept tulips instead. I wanted to be able to give him something, and since I had no idea what he liked, tulips were my safest bet so far.   
Five days later, they were in full bloom and ready to pick. I went out in the pouring rain to gather them up, then mustered up my courage and headed over to the beach.  
I didn’t see Elliott on the beach, which shouldn’t have been that big of a surprise since it was pouring rain. I wandered around town for a few hours, looking in Cindersap Forest, the saloon, and Pierre’s store, to no avail. I guessed that Elliott hadn’t really wanted to go out in the rain and had spent the day in his cabin on the beach. I didn’t really want to go knock on his door, because I really didn’t know him that well and it would be kind of weird if I showed up at his house.   
I decided to pack it in for the day and try again tomorrow. I was slightly relieved, but more than a little disappointed. I wasn’t sure if I would have the same confidence the next time I saw him as I had left the house with this morning. I could only hope I didn’t chicken out and run away like the cowardly fraidy-cat I was. 

* * *

The next day, I watered my plants and then decided to walk around town again. I told myself I wasn’t looking for Elliott, I was just wandering around town talking to my new friends in Pelican town, and that I might just happen to run into him.  
It didn’t work.   
He sat in the back of my mind all day as I chatted with some of my new friends. I had a loose plan in the back of my mind that I would go to the saloon later that night, it being Friday, to hang out and talk to people and I would just happen to run into ELliott.  
I was thinking about when would be the best time for me to pop into the saloon as I left the library, so I was kind of distracted as I walked down the path by Mayor Lewis’ house.  
Staring at nothing in particular, I meandered calmly along until something caught my eye that made me jump.  
It was Elliott, standing on the bridge where I’d first met him.  
I couldn’t understand it. How did this man always have the element of surprise over me? It seemed almost unfair. Nevertheless, I took a deep breath and approached him, determined not to mess up this time.  
“H-Hi, Elliott!” I said.  
Elliott was cool as a cucumber. “Hello there,” he said with a pleasant smile. “So nice to see you.”  
That “so nice to see you” made my stomach flip-flop, but I managed to keep my cool. “You too,” I said. “How are you?”  
“I’m well, thank you for asking,” he said. “Just enjoying this beautiful weather.” He took a deep breath and sighed with pleasure. “The fresh air of the valley is good for body and mind. A quick stroll outdoors always invigorates me.”  
His poetic language took me by surprise (again). What kind of mind was this man hiding? It intrigued me.  
I suddenly realized that I had spent the last several seconds just staring at him, saying nothing. I hastily cleared my throat.   
“Yeah, that’s uh… that’s one of the things I like best about the valley so far.”  
Elliott nodded. “It certainly is nice.”  
Before things got awkward again, I began to reach into my backpack. “I actually, uh… grew this… for you,” I said, handing him a purple tulip. “I hope-... I hope you like it better than the daffodil…” I added, staring at my boots.   
“This is for me?” Elliott asked, taking the tulip from my hand. “Marvelous!”  
I looked up in surprise. “Y-You like it?”  
“Of course!” he smiled at me. “Especially since you grew it yourself. I myself am useless with plants.”  
I laughed. “I’m sure you’re not…”  
“Oh, trust me,” said Elliott. “I am. Vegetation withers at the mere sight of me. I may have offended a plant spirit in a previous life.”  
We both laughed. A moment of silence. I forced myself not to panic. Instead I just smiled and leaned against the bridge railing, staring at the water below. Elliott followed suit. It was a quiet, peaceful moment, but my mind was too busy freaking out over the fact that I hadn’t messed it all up to notice. 

* * *  
Weeks passed. The Egg Festival came and went. I began to get increasingly comfortable in my new home.   
Elliott and I had spoken a few times during this time, but I was still a nervous wreck nearly every time I saw him.  
I was standing on the beach doing some fishing to try and earn a little extra cash. My back was to ELliott’s cabin and I was staring out at the horizon, enjoying the peace and quiet.   
Suddenly, I heard a door open behind me and footsteps walking down the beach. I gasped. It had to be Elliott.  
I forced myself not to freak out. I took a couple deep breaths.   
My mind was screaming at me to go talk to him, but I decided not to turn around just yet. I didn’t want to seem too eager. I just kept my gaze on the sea.   
Once I had calmed myself down sufficiently, I took a deep breath, reeled in my fishing line, and turned around.  
To my dismay, I only saw the back of Elliott as he walked back to his cabin! Before I could say anything, he opened the door, stepped inside his cabin, and closed the door quickly behind him.   
I cursed my rotten luck. If only I had been smart enough to turn around when I first heard him open the cabin door! I kicked at the sand and shoved my hands into my pockets as I walked dejectedly away from the beach. I had had the perfect chance and I blew it. I kicked myself for being so darn scared. I vowed to myself that the next time I saw him, I wouldn’t let my chance slip away again. 

 

* * *

It was a few days later, and I had run out of potato seeds. I refused to set one foot into Joja Mart, so it was back to Pierre’s I went.  
The bell over the door rang cheerfully as I walked in.  
“It’s Farmer Oliver!” exclaimed Pierre.  
“Hi Pierre!” I said. I headed over to the shelves to find the potato seeds and ran into Caroline.  
“Hi there, Oliver,” she said.   
“Hi,” I said as I perused the shelves.  
“Do you have everything you need for the farm?” she asked. “If not, we might be able to help you out.”  
“Yep,” I said. “Just picking up some seeds.”  
Just then, the bell at the front of the store rang and I heard a familiar voice call out.   
“Good morning, Pierre.” It was Elliott.  
I guess Caroline saw the surprise on my face, because she gave me a concerned look. “Are you alright, Oliver?” she asked.  
“Uh, yes, I’m… fine. I’m fine. Would you… excuse me for a moment?”  
“Oh, of course, of course!”  
“Thanks.” I walked over to Elliott.   
“Hello there,” I said.  
“Hello, Oliver,” he replied. “Are you well?”  
“I - I am. Thank you for asking.”  
Pause.  
Stupid awkward silence. I felt my cheeks begin to burn. I couldn’t think of anything to say, so I just reached into my backpack and pulled out a yellow tulip. “I, uh… brought this for you.”  
“Oh, thank you!” Elliott said, taking it. “This is wonderful, Oliver!” He laughed. “You’ve certainly become an overflowing fountain of flowers recently.”  
I really hoped I wasn’t blushing. My mind was kind of a blank until I remembered what the heck I was even doing here in the first place.  
“Well…” I finally said. “I guess I better… get back to work. Gotta… get to plantin’!” I said, laughing awkwardly.   
“Oh, of course,” nodded Elliott. “I’ll see you around?”  
“Yeah, definitely,” I said as I haphazardly grabbed some potato seeds off the nearest shelf.   
Pierre rang me up, and as he handed me the seeds wrapped up in brown paper, I could’ve sworn he gave me a small wink. I waved goodbye to Elliott as I started out the door, and he smiled and waved back.   
Caroline caught my eye on my way out, smiled, and flashed me a double thumbs up.  
I calmly walked out the door and managed to keep my cool until I got to my farm. I took one step over my property line and my legs just gave out. I collapsed into a pile on the ground in sheer relief that I hadn’t chickened out and lost my chance again.   
After I had taken a minute to recover, I managed to pick myself back up and get back to work, but Elliott stayed on my mind.  
That’s been a recurring theme lately.

* * *  
As the days passed, I couldn’t keep him off my mind. So, I did what any rationally thinking person does when they have a crush.  
I went to his house.  
Honestly, I don’t know what I expected to happen.  
I kind of just showed up at his house, took a chance for once in my cowardly life, and knocked on the door.  
“Oliver!” he smiled as he opened the door. “Come in.” He pushed the door open wide and I walked inside.  
“Welcome to my humble… well, shack.”  
“It’s not a shack!” I said. “It’s very nice.”  
He scoffed. “That’s very kind of you.” He turned away from me and placed his hands on a worn wooden desk. “This is my writing desk,” he said. “It’s where I spend most of my time.  
“Oh, you’re a writer?” I asked.  
“Oh, yes,” he said. “For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted to be a writer. I guess I have never told you that. That’s why I live out here by myself.” He looked out the window at the ocean outside. “I figured a lonely life by the sea would help me focus on my literary aspirations…”  
“...lonely?” I asked quietly. But I don’t think he heard me.  
“Everyone back home said I was nuts…” Elliott continued. “...That I could never make it as a writer.” He frowned. “Can you believe it?” he asked incredulously. “They said, ‘For every successful author there’s 1000 who fail miserably.’” He shook his head. “Such pessimism… it’s sickening.”  
“I don’t think that’s true at all,” I said, managing to look him in the eye. His eyes were a gorgeous deep green. I almost lost my train of thought. “I think anybody can succeed if they work hard enough.”  
Elliott smiled. He looked me straight in the eye. It made my knees wobble. “I can see it in your eyes… you believe in me, Oliver,” he said. “You’ve got that spark.”  
He grinned wide, and I saw his own eyes sparkle. “Now that’s inspiring!” he exclaimed. “That’s what I’m looking for…”  
He began to pace around the small room. I could just see the gears turning in his head. I stood quietly by the desk and said nothing.   
Suddenly, Elliott turned to me. “A question… What kind of books do you like, Oliver?” he asked.   
I had to think about it for a moment. “Hmm…” I said thoughtfully. “I really like mysteries,” I said finally.   
“Mystery, huh?” said Elliott. “It’s definitely an exciting genre.” He gave me a kind smile. “I’ll remember that.”  
I smiled at the floor. “Well…” I said sheepishly, “I think… I think you’ll be a fantastic writer. I can’t wait to read your book.”  
“Thank you very much,” said Elliott sincerely. There was a moment of silence.  
“Well!” Elliott finally said. “Enough talk about me.” He looked at me thoughtfully. “Hmm… you probably know a lot about plants, don’t you?”  
I kicked at the floor shyly. “I - I don’t know… I guess you could say that.”  
“Don’t be silly,” Elliott chided. “The flowers you bring me are always flawless. I don’t know how you do it.”  
My face was getting hotter by the second. “...Thanks…” I said quietly.  
“So,” said Elliott. “Would you mind taking a look at this rose, here? I’m afraid it’s not doing so well.”  
“O-Oh, sure.” I went over and examined the rose. It was drooping and petals were falling off of it. I gave it a little water and moved it over by the window to catch the sunlight coming through it.  
“Just make sure it gets sunlight and water every day and it should perk back up in no time,” I said to Elliott.  
“Thank you so much, Oliver!” said Elliott. “I’m so glad you stopped by.”  
My stomach did a flip-flop at that. “Y-yeah, me too,” I said timidly.   
There was another pause, but, for some reason, this one didn’t feel so awkward.   
“Well…” I said eventually. “I guess I’d better get going.”   
“All right,” said Elliott as he began to show me to the door of the cabin. “You’re welcome to visit again any time you like.”  
That caught me off guard. “Really?” I asked in surprise.  
Elliott laughed. “Really,” he reassured me. “It can get a little boring in here sometimes. I’d appreciate the company.”  
“All right,” I said, trying not to grin. “See you later then?”  
“See you later.” Elliott smiled and opened the door for me. I was about to walk out, but he placed a hand on my shoulder.  
“Thanks for talking with me…” he said. “I’ll be thinking about what you said.”  
“N-No problem,” I managed to sputter. “Thanks for not kicking me out of your house.”  
Elliott laughed. “Of course,” he said.  
“See you later!” I said, waving as I walked away.  
“Bye,” said Elliott, waving back.  
I made it two hundred feet before collapsing against the railing of the bridge right next to the beach.  
For the first time in several minutes, I exhaled.  
I had done it.

* * *

 

“Dear Oliver,

Tomorrow we’re all getting together for the Flower Dance.  
If you can find a partner, you might even want to participate in the dance yourself!

There’s a little clearing beyond the forest west of town where we hold the dance. Arrive between 9AM and 2PM if you’re interested.

-Mayor Lewis”

I stated at this letter for a solid five minutes.   
I didn’t know whether I was excited or terrified.  
But the farm wasn’t going to run itself.  
I watered the plants, cleared out some of the debris on the farm just to keep myself distracted, and eventually found myself wandering into town.   
“Hello, Oliver!” I heard a voice calling to me as I walked through the square. It was Jodi.   
“Oh, hi, Jodi!” I went over to her. “How are you?”  
“I’m good! How are you?”  
“I’m great, thank you!”  
“How’s the farm life?” Jodi asked. “Is it a lot of work?”  
“Yeah, I replied. “I’ve been keeping pretty busy, but it’s fun work. I really love living and working on the farm.”  
Jodi nodded. “That’s good.” She laughed. “But hey, you’ll get a day off tomorrow, right? For the Flower Dance!”  
“Uh, yeah, that’ll be…” I cleared my throat. “That’ll be fun.”  
“Did I hear someone mention the Flower Dance?” a voice came from behind me, making me jump.   
It was Elliott.  
“Why yes!” said Jodi with a smile. “Oliver here was just telling me how excited he is for it.”  
“Yeah,” I said nervously. “It’s going to be fun. There was never anything like it back in the city.”  
“Well, I’m glad you’re looking forward to it,” said Elliott. “It’s one of the most festive times of the year here in Pelican Town.”  
“Y-Yeah, I c - I can’t wait.” I cleared my throat. “Are - are you… going to be there?” I asked timidly.   
“Oh, of course!” said Elliott cheerfully. “I never miss a town festival.”  
“O-Okay, cool!” I stuttered. “So… I’ll… s-see you there?”   
“Yeah,” said Elliott. “See you there.” He waved as he walked off in the direction of Pierre’s. “Bye, Oliver. Bye, Jodi.”  
“Bye!” said Jodi and I in unison as we waved back.   
As soon as Elliott was out of sight, Jodi started grinning at me.   
“What?” I asked.  
She looked around innocently. “Oh, nothing,” she said with a giggle.  
* * *

The next day, I woke up nervous.  
I did my chores nervous.  
I fixed my hair nervous.  
I fixed my hair again even more nervous.  
Finally, It was 9 o’clock and time to go. I got cleaned up and headed out the door.  
Everyone in town was gathered in the clearing. There were flowers and colorful decorations everywhere and everyone was happy.  
I spent a while talking to friends, eating good food, and enjoying the beautiful spring weather. It was a very enjoyable time.  
But eventually, Mayor Lewis stepped out into the middle of the clearing.  
“May I have your attention, everyone!” he called. “The traditional Flower Dance will be beginning in just a few moments! If you would like to participate, grab a partner and start warming up!”  
I had been talking with Sam, Abigail, and Sebastian when Mayor Lewis made the announcement.  
Sebastian rolled his eyes. “Ugh…” he groaned. “I really don’t want to do this… But my mom’ll  
throw a fit if I don’t.”  
“Same,” said Abigail. “Do you wanna just… be partners? I feel like that’ll be the least awkward route for both of us.”  
“Fine.” Sebastian sighed. “What about you, Oliver?” he asked. “You gonna dance?”  
“Uh, h-hopefully,” I said.   
“‘Hopefully’?” asked Sam. “What’s that supposed to mean?”  
“It means that he wants to dance but he’s worried that the person he wants to ask will say no,” said Abigail matter-of-factly. “Right, Oliver?”  
“Y-Yeah, you got it,” I conceded.   
“Well,” said Sam, “There’s only one way to find out!”  
I was about to panic, when a voice came from behind us. “E-Excuse me?”  
It was Penny. Sam turned and smiled at her. “Hey, Penny,” he said. “What’s up?”  
“Uh… hi.” Penny was blushing. “Could I… talk to you for a sec?”  
“Uh, sure…” said Sam. Penny quickly grabbed his arm and led him to a deserted corner over by the buffet table.   
While Sebastian and Abigail were busy staring and whispering, I managed to sneak away. I needed to talk to someone too…  
I found that someone standing by the river talking to Leah. I took one last deep breath and tapped him on the shoulder.   
“Hi, Elliott.”  
He turned around and gave me a smile that made my knees wobble. “Hello, Oliver! HOw are you liking your first Flower Dance?”  
“It’s uh… it’s been g-great… so far,” I stammered. “This place looks… it looks really nice.”  
“It certainly does,” said Elliott. “I wore my best shirt for the dance. This sort of thing doesn’t happen very often!”  
“Yeah, you…” I cleared my throat. “You look great,” I said, doing my best to look him in the eye.  
“Why thank you!” he said. “You look very nice as well.”  
I tried my hardest not to blush. “Thank you…” I managed to say. “Um… can I… uh… t-talk to you? Privately?”  
“Certainly,” he replied nonchalantly. He placed a hand on Leah’s shoulder. “Excuse me for a moment, Leah.”   
That hand on her shoulder made me nervous, but there was no turning back now.  
We walked over to a deserted area next to a Tub O’Flowers.   
I bit my lip and shuffled my feet. “So, uh… I w-wanted to ask you…” I began. The inside of my mouth felt like sandpaper. The uncertainty of whether I was excited or terrified had been 100% resolved. I was absolutely terrified.  
“Yes?” Elliott asked. Something about the soothing tone of his voice gave me a tiny shot of confidence, just enough for me to rip the band-aid and ask the question.   
“Would… would you … b-be my dance partner?” I managed to sputter.  
Elliott suddenly looked rather uncomfortable. “Erm…” he said. I held my breath.  
“Excuse me… not today.”  
My stomach dropped into my boots. I felt my face turn bright red as I looked down at the grass. “Oh, uh… th-that’s okay… I - I understand.”  
Elliott gave me a small smile, then turned and walked back to the riverbank to stand next to Leah.  
I faced the Tub O’Flowers, trying not to cry. I wanted to just run out. Make a mad dash back to the farm and not talk to anyone. But I didn’t want people to ask questions about it later, so, difficult as it was, I decided against it.  
I made myself walk around the main area a big. Watching the other people ask others to dance with them and getting enthusiastic yes’s made me start to feel the tears welling up.  
“Oliver?” asked Mayor Lewis. “Are you all right?”  
I hastily wiped my eyes on my sleeve. “Uh, yes. I’m - I’m fine.”  
“Alright,” he said, but I got the definition he didn’t quite believe me. He looked out at the  
clearing. “Well, do you think everybody’s ready? Should we start the dance?”  
“Y-Yeah, I… think so.”  
So the dance began. I watched Sebastian dance with Abigail and Penny dance with Sam and Elliott dance with Leah, all the while saying nothing to anybody.  
I walked home at the end of the day, still saying nothing. I climbed into bed, and as the events of the day all came washing over me, I let the tears come.

* * *

For the next week or so, I barely left the farm. I only went into town for necessities and I barely talked to anyone. Every time I even glanced in the direction of the beach, memories of the Flower Dance came rushing back to me.  
It was summer now. Blueberries and tomatoes were in season, the weather was nice and warm, and almost everybody was going to the beach. I had no desire to be one of them, but I knew that eventually I was going to have to get back on the horse.   
I decided to just get it over with. I packed a little basket of some fresh blueberries from my farm, took a deep breath, and headed off to the beach.  
It was a beautiful day. I tried to focus on that instead of the awkwardness of my last encounter with Elliott.  
When I finally got there, I almost turned back. Luckily, I didn’t. But I almost did.  
I stood in front of Elliott’s door, and just as I was about to knock, the door swing open and Elliott walked straight into me.   
“Hello!” Elliott said in surprise.   
“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry,” I said. “Are you okay?”  
“Oh, that was completely my fault. I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”  
“Uh, yeah, I’m - I’m fine. Don - Don’t worry about it.”  
“Won’t you come in?”  
“Oh, you’re… going somewhere. I can… come back later.”  
“Nonsense! I wasn’t going anywhere important. Please, come in!”   
“Oh! O-Okay, thank you!”  
Elliott held the door open and we stepped into his cabin. “It’s nice of you to visit,” he said. “It  
was so kind of you to come all the way here just to talk to me.”  
I smiled shyly. “N-No problem.”  
“I feel like I haven’t talked to you in a while,” he said. “How have you been?”  
“I’ve been… good. Yeah,” I said slowly. “How have you been? How’s your day going?”  
“My day has been wonderful, thank you very much,” said Elliott. He sighed. “A gentle little  
sunbeam woke me up this morning. I’ve never felt so refreshed.” The smile dropped off his face. “I’m sorry if that isn’t very interesting to you.”  
“Oh, no!” I said quickly. “That sounds delightful! It must be so nice to live by the beach.”  
Elliott smiled. “It really is.”  
I smiled back. “Now, b-before I forget…” I said, taking the basket in my hand. “I brought you some fresh blueberries from the farm.”  
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” said Elliott, taking the basket. “Thank you ever so much!” He popped one in his mouth. “Mmm… delicious. It must be satisfying to follow your crop from seed to harvest. It’s as if your essence is infused into the fruit.”  
“Yeah, it - it is,” I said. “And there’s more where that came from, s-so I’ll be back soon with… more for you.”  
“Thank you so much, Oliver,” said Elliott. “I really appreciate it.”  
I smiled at the floor. “Well… I must be going now.”  
“Yes,” said Elliott. “I suppose you have much work to do.” He began to show me to the door. “Thanks so much for stopping by, Oliver,” he said.   
“No problem.” I smiled. “Goodbye, Elliott.”  
“Goodbye, Oliver,” he replied. “I’ll see you later.”  
“See you!” I waved as he shut the door behind me.  
“Well, that didn’t go too badly,” I thought to myself as I walked across the beach.  
Just then, I heard a voice calling me. I turned. It was Alex, calling to me from across the beach. “Hey, Oliver!” he cried. “C’mere.”  
I edged warily over to him. “H-Hey, Alex,” I said. “What’s up?”  
“Nothing much,” he said nonchalantly. “You?”  
“Yeah, not - not much.”  
“Okay, cool,” said Alex. “Now, enough chit-chat.” He crossed his arms and gave me a smug smile. “So. I just happened to see you coming out of Elliott’s house.”  
“Y-Yeah.”  
“You two… hang out a lot, dontcha?”  
“Uh… I… g-guess so…”  
“I noticed he was the last person you really talked to at the Flower Dance.”  
“I - you - uh -”  
“Does that… mean anything?”  
I could do nothing but babble incoherently. “D-D-Does it have to mean anything?”  
“Mm hm.” Alex nodded. “I think it does. I think it means that someone’s got a crush.”  
My face was beet red. “NO!” I said way too loudly.  
Alex laughed. “Don’t even try it, dude. It’s so obvious.”  
My stomach sank. “Is it that obvious?”  
Alex shrugged. “If you’re the observant type.”  
I looked around anxiously. Luckily, there was no one else on the beach. “Please don’t tell anyone,” I begged. “I would just die.”  
“Don’t worry, farmer guy,” Alex reassured me. “Your secret is safe with me.”  
I sighed in relief. “Thank you.”  
“Yeah, I’ve been there before,” said Alex. “Once, back in high school, my best friend told the whole school which girl I liked.” He shrugged. “Turns out she liked me back, but it was still pretty embarrassing. So I feel you.”  
I wasn’t sure how Alex’s story made me feel, but I was glad he had agreed to keep my secret. “Well,” I said, “I should probably get going.”  
“Oh, yeah, for sure,” said Alex. “Catch you later.”  
I hurried away from the beach as fast as my legs could carry me. I felt fairly confident in Alex’s secret-keeping skills, but there was one corner of my mind that worried that someone would get the truth out of him…

* * *

I tried to keep the worry about the possibility of Alex spilling my secret pushed to the back of my mind as I focused mainly on running a successful farm.  
It sort of worked. Alex hadn’t mentioned it since, so I was able to reassure myself that he would keep his lips sealed. He might even have forgotten that conversation ever happened.  
I could only hope.  
In the meantime, I visited Elliott often. I brought him fresh produce from the farm and he told  
me about his writing experience (while keeping the details of his book a secret). We began to grow closer, bit by bit.  
One late afternoon, after a long day of work, I decided to stop by the saloon for a bite to eat.  
I entered the Stardrop Saloon and leaned against the bar. “Hello, Gus!” I called to the man behind the bar.  
“Hi, Oliver,” he replied. “I’ll take your order in a few moments.”  
I stood there for a while, enjoying the delicious smells of the food and the hustle and bustle of the patrons of the saloon.  
Just then, the door opened and someone walked in. It was Elliott. He saw me standing by the bar, smiled, and went over to me.   
“Hello, Oliver!” he said. “What a pleasant surprise!”  
“Hi, Elliott!” I said. “And - likewise!”  
“I was just stopping in to relax after an eight hour writing session,” Elliott explained.  
“Eight hours!” I exclaimed.  
Elliott chuckled. “Yes, I suppose that is a bit extreme. But when you’ve got those creative juices flowing, there’s no way to turn them off!” He shouted to Gus. “Bartender! Two of your finest ales, please!”  
“Oh, no, you don’t have to-” I began, but he cut me off.  
“No, you’re correct, I don’t have to, but I want to. Is it too unheard of for a man to treat his good friend to a beverage?”  
My heart fluttered when he called me his ‘good friend’. “N-No, I guess not. Th-thank you.”  
“No trouble at all,” said Elliott as Gus approached, a drink in each hand.  
“There you go, sir,” he said as he set them down in front of us.  
Elliott took his and was about to take a drink, when I suddenly had an idea. “Wait,” I said. “I propose a toast!” I raised my glass. “T-To our friendship!”   
Elliott smiled wide. “That’s a great idea!” he said. He raised his glass. “Here’s to us!”  
“To us!” I repeated, and we drank.  
We had a very enjoyable evening, talking and laughing about nothing in particular. When the evening began to draw to a close, we stood outside the saloon, about to part ways for the night.  
“Thanks again, Elliott,” I said. “That was a lot of fun.”  
“It certainly was,” Elliott agreed. “We should do it again sometime.”  
I could feel the butterflies in my stomach. I was about to open my mouth to say something else, but Elliott began first.   
“You know, Oliver…” he said. “I just wanted to say that… I know that I am kind of an ‘oddball’. I hope you don’t mind.”  
I was suddenly filled with an overpowering urge to kiss him. Just the way he was looking at me and the sincerity in his voice. It took all my willpower not to. “Oh, of course I don’t mind!” I said quickly. “I actually… really like the oddball type.” I cringed inwardly at how stupid I sounded. I clamped my lips together before anything else stupid could escape from my big fat mouth.  
Elliott laughed. “I’m glad,” he said. “Well, goodnight, Oliver.”  
“Good night, Elliott,” I said. “Sweet dreams.”  
He smiled and walked off into the night. I watched him disappear into the darkness, then turned and headed back to my farm, floating on a cloud the whole way.

* * *

“Dear Oliver,

Tomorrow we’re all gathering at the beach for the annual Pelican Town Luau.

The highlight of the event is the communal potluck. Make sure you bring something good to contribute! The governor himself is attending this event, so make sure you’re on your best behavior. Come to the beach sometime between 9AM and 2PM.

-Mayor Lewis”

This potluck had some potential.  
Sam had told me all about the Luau before I even received this letter. Bringing something for the communal soup pot wouldn’t be a problem. Some high-quality hot peppers from my farm would suffice. The actual potluck itself was a bit of a challenge, because I hadn’t purchased any of the house upgrades from Robin yet.   
Sam had told me that Gus took care of most of the food at the Luau, but that other villagers were welcome to bring food as well if they wanted. I was not going to let this opportunity to impress a certain someone pass me by.  
Like I said, I hadn’t upgraded my house yet. So I didn’t have a kitchen yet. So this was going to be a challenge.   
I knew I needed a little bit of help. I needed someone who knew what food ELliott liked, knew how to make it, and had a kitchen I could use. I would have to explain my intentions to this someone, so it had to be someone I could trust.  
I decided on Willy.  
So I headed off to the beach.  
I saw Elliott standing by his fire pit as I headed to Willy’s shop, but I made myself not talk to him. I just waved at him and kept walking.  
“Ahoy there, son!” said Willy as I walked in.  
“Hi, Willy,” I said.  
“What can I do fer ye?” he asked.  
“Actually… I need your help.”  
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? How so?”  
I took a deep breath. “You’re… friends with Elliott, right?”  
“Sure I am!” said Willy. “We ocean lovers like to stick together.”  
I looked down at the floor. I really didn’t want to say what I had to say, but there was no way I would be able to make my plan for the Luau a success without Willy’s help.  
“Can you keep a secret?”  
“O’ course.”  
I cleared my throat. “So, uh… E-Elliott… um… I…”  
Willy held up a hand. “Ye don’t need to say it. You’ve been struck by ol’ Cupid’s arrow, haven’t ye?”   
I nodded, my face as red as a tomato.  
Willy sighed wistfully. “I can remember when that was me. I was a strong young sailor. She was the daughter of the captain of the vessel. But that’s a story for another day. Now, ye said ye needed my help?”   
“Yeah,” I said. “So, the Luau is tomorrow.”  
“Yep.”  
“I have my ingredient for the soup all figured out, but I want to bring something special for the potluck.”  
Willy nodded. “Ye want to bring one of Elliott’s favorite foods!”  
“That was my plan,” I said. “But I have a couple problems. I don’t know what foods Elliott loves, I don’t know if I’ll know how to make it, and I also don’t have a kitchen…”  
“Say no more,” said Willy. “I happen ta know that Elliott is particularly fond of crab cakes, me ol’ Pappy passed me down his secret recipe, and I’m pretty sure I have a spare kitchen lyin’ around that ye can use.”  
I smiled. “Thank you so much, Willy. I really appreciate it.”  
“Don’t mention it,” said Willy. “Now, let’s get to work!”  
Willy found the recipe for crab cakes, written in his Pappy’s shaky handwriting. It called for wheat flour, an egg, oil, and, of course, a crab. So I went off to Pierre’s for the flour and oil and to Marnie’s for the eggs while Willy set his traps to hopefully get a crab by the time I came back.  
When I got back to Willy’s house about an hour later, he was all ready with a freshly caught crab and we were all ready to cook.  
Willy took me up the ladder to the apartment half of his store to cook the crab cakes in his kitchen. He showed me just how his Pappy used to make them and let me copy the recipe to use later.   
When we were all done, I put them on a plate and wrapped them in some aluminum foil. “Thanks again, Willy,” I said. “I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it.”  
“No problem,” said Willy. “Good luck tomorrow!”  
I said goodbye to Willy and headed home with my crab cakes.   
Tomorrow was going to be a big day!

The next day, after I had watered my plants, I grabbed my basket, packed up the crab cakes and some hot peppers for the soup, and I was ready to go.  
I got to the beach right at 9. A lot of people were there already, but not everybody. I looked around but didn’t see Elliott anywhere.   
Gus was setting up the food on a bunch of long tables. “Hey, Gus!” I said as I approached.   
“Hello, Oliver!” he said. He looked at my foil-covered plate. “Did you bring something for the potluck?”  
“I did,” I said, taking the foil off the plate.   
Gus gasped. “Crab cakes!” he exclaimed. “How perfect!” He took the plate and put it on the table. “Thank you! This will be great.”  
I still didn’t see Elliott anywhere. I decided to just talk to some friends, eat some food, and just enjoy myself.   
I was talking to Harvey and Maru when I happened to hear Elliott’s door open. He took a step  
onto the beach, stopped, and looked around with a surprised look on his face.  
I excused myself and made my way over to him. “Hi, Elliott!” I said.  
“Hello!” he said. “I woke up late, stepped out of the door, and found myself in the  
middle of all this hubbub! I forgot that today was the Luau.”  
I laughed. “Did you bring something for the soup?”  
Elliott nodded. “I did, but it’s in the cabin. Excuse me…”  
We talked for a little bit, but eventually parted ways to do our separate things.  
I was up the steps on the giant soup pot adding my hot peppers when I noticed Elliott walking slowly past the food tables. I held my breath when he got to my crab cakes. He stopped dead in his tracks and stared at them in surprise. I saw him smile, help himself to a couple, and approach Gus. I managed to overhear a bit of their conversation.  
I heard a “thank you” from Elliott, but Gus shook his head and appeared to explain something to Elliott, who received it with a surprised and pleased expression.  
Then, to my surprise, he started walking over to the soup pot where I was. I quickly hopped down from the steps.  
“Oliver,” he said, “Gus tells me that you are responsible for the crab cakes on the food table!”  
I nodded. “Yeah, that was me.”  
Elliott smiled. “I just wanted to tell you that I am so glad you brought them! They’re one of my very favorite foods.   
I felt my face go slightly pink. “I know,” I said. “That’s why I brought them.”  
Elliott’s mouth dropped open. “You brought them especially for me?” he asked in disbelief.  
I nodded. “I wanted to… thank you for being such a good friend.”  
“That’s so thoughtful of you, Oliver!” he exclaimed, smiling from ear to ear. “Thank you so much!”  
I smiled back. “You’re welcome.”  
Elliott and I picked up where we had left off, enjoying friendly conversation. I happened to catch Willy’s eye from across the beach, and he gave me a wink.  
The governor loved the soup, the whole village had a great time, and now it was time to head home. I said goodbye to Elliott and all my other friends and started walking back to the farm. It was only then that I realized: I hadn’t stuttered once when talking to Elliott this whole day.  
I think I may finally be getting somewhere.

* * *

And then… something fell through.  
My latest crop of tomatoes had ripened, so I put some in a basket and went to take them to Elliott.  
I didn’t see him on the way to the beach. When I knocked on his door, no one answered.   
I couldn’t think of anywhere else he might be, so I decided to just head home and get some work done.  
I took a shortcut through Cindersap Forest, and it was just as I passed Leah’s house that I saw something that made me stop in my tracks.  
Elliott and Leah were standing by the river. He had his arm around her shoulders and she had hers around his waist. And they were just standing there. Not saying anything.  
I felt like someone had driven a wooden stake through my heart. Elliott had never mentioned a girlfriend before. I guess it had been stupid of me to assume he didn’t have one.  
I couldn’t really do anything but stand there like a creep and stare.  
Suddenly, I heard Elliott say something. It sounded like a goodbye. They hugged, and ELliott turned around. I started and tried to pretend like I had been walking past instead of standing in one spot.  
Elliott smiled and waved as he saw me. I gave a small wave back.  
“Hello there!” he said as he came up to me.  
“H-hey!” I said. “How are you?”  
“I’m well, thank you. How are you?”  
“Good. Hey, I was actually looking for you. I wanted to bring you this.” I handed him the basket.  
“Oh, thank you so much!” he said. “These look delicious. I’ll be eating well tonight!”  
I laughed awkwardly. My mind was still spinning, and my stomach was still churning, so I couldn’t think of much to say. But just then, Elliott put a hand on my shoulder.  
“Seriously,” he said. “I need you to know how much I appreciate this. Being a writer… it doesn’t bring in a lot of money. So I cherish every bit of help I get. Thank you.”  
As I looked into his warm, sincere eyes, that uncontrollable urge to kiss him returned. Again, it took every ounce of my being not to. So instead I hugged him.  
Looking back, I can’t recall what was going through my mind. I just knew I wanted to hug him. So I did.  
“You’re welcome,” I said. “I’m always here for you if you need anything.”  
He hugged me back. I felt his head on my shoulder. “Thank you,” he said softly.  
Eventually, I let go. We smiled at each other. “Well,” I said. “I better get going.”  
“Me too,” he said. “That book isn’t going to write itself!”  
“Alright,” I laughed. “Bye Elliott.”  
“Bye Oliver,” said Elliott. “And thanks again. I’m so lucky to have someone like you in my life.”  
I smiled. “Likewise.” I waved, and he walked away.   
As soon as he left, all the wound-up tension in my brain just exploded. What in the world had just happened?  
My mind was spinning at a hundred miles an hour. Was Leah his girlfriend? They seem pretty close, and I’m sure I’m not the only person in town who finds him attractive. But he did let me hug him, and he hugged me back. And that last bit… that’s not something you say to someone who’s just a friend… is it?

* * *

In the following weeks, Elliott and I continued to see each other often. Sometimes we would hang out at his house, sometimes at the saloon, but all the while that nagging suspicion lingered in my mind: was he even available?   
Before I knew it, summer was almost over. It was the 28th, and the day of the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies. It was hard to believe that my first year in Pelican Town was already almost half over.  
Since it was the last day of summer, I didn’t have any work to do, so I ended up just wandering around town and and enjoying the last of the summer weather.  
Eventually, it was time to head down to the beach.   
The whole beach was dark except for the light of the candles placed in little rafts along the dock, and, of course, the candle boat. All was quiet.  
I walked down the dock, saying hi to friends, and eventually reached the end of the dock near Willy’s shop. I sat down and dangled my legs off the side, enjoying the cool night air. Once everyone arrived, Mayor Lewis would release the candle boat and the moonlight jellies would come up to the dock to say hello.   
I was just sitting there in the peace and quiet when all of a sudden I heard footsteps on the wooden dock behind me.   
I turned my head. It was Elliott. “Hey,” I said, surprisingly calm.  
“Hey,” he replied. “Mind if I join you?”  
“Not at all.” I was still acting calm but the butterflies had returned. Elliott sat down next to me and dangled his legs off the side of the dock.  
Just then, Mayor Lewis untied the boat and it went floating off into the distance. The whole village held its breath.  
And then the jellies arrived. They drifted up to the dock, bobbing up and down in the water, filling the air with a soft glow.  
I gasped. “Wow…” I said softly.  
“Indeed,” said Elliott. He sighed. “If we keep polluting the oceans, the jellies will surely go extinct. It’s already in the process of happening.” He shook his head. “What a shame… we have no respect for nature anymore.”  
I nodded. “I know. I’m constantly fishing trash out of the ocean. It makes me sad.”  
“Me too,” Elliott agreed. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to be such a downer. Your first time seeing the jellies should be a magical experience, and I kind of just put a damper on it.”  
“It’s okay,” I said. “It really is magical.”  
Elliott nodded. “I thought so too, my first time seeing them. I still do.”  
“It seems like the kind of thing that never gets old.”  
“You’re absolutely right.”  
Elliott and I sat there until the jellies left, just appreciating the beauty and the end of summer.  
About an hour later, the jellies were gone and most people were heading home.   
I had said goodbye to Elliott and was talking to Jodi about how beautiful the jellies were when Sam snuck up behind me.  
“Oliver!” he said. “Come on!” With that he grabbed my arm and proceeded to drag me across the dock.   
“Well,” I said to Jodi, “Apparently I need to be somewhere, so I’ll see you later!” She laughed and waved goodbye.  
“Sam, where are we going?” I asked.  
“We’re playing Truth or Dare!” he said as he led me to the other end of the dock, where a bunch of people were sitting in a circle. I saw Abigail, Sebastian, Leah, Harvey, Shane, Alex, Penny, Maru, Emily, and Elliott.  
“Truth or Dare?” I asked. “Why?”  
“One last fling!” said Sam. “To celebrate the end of summer. Just us single people!”  
I gasped inwardly. Single people? I glanced at Elliott. So Leah wasn’t his girlfriend. This was big news.   
I told myself not to jump to conclusions. Maybe they weren’t official. Maybe they liked each other but didn’t want to say anything.  
“So… are you in?” asked Sam.  
“Oh! Yeah, sure.”  
“Great!” said Sam, plopping down on the dock. “I’ll go first.”  
“Why do you get to go first?” protested Abigail.  
“Haley!”   
“Me?” she squeaked. “Um… dare!”  
“Okay…” said Sam. “I dare you to… do four cartwheels in a row.”  
“Pshh,” scoffed Haley. “Watch and be amazed.” She stood up, walked a few steps away from the group, and executed four perfect cartwheels.  
“Wow!” everyone exclaimed and applauded. Haley tossed her hair back. “I was a gymnast for seven years.”  
“No fair!” Sam complained. “That doesn’t count!”  
“Sucks for you, it’s my turn now,” said Haley. “Um… Harvey, truth or dare?”  
“T-Truth,” said Harvey.  
Haley smiled a smug smile. “Describe your worst breakup.”  
Harvey sighed and looked up at the sky. “Hm…” he said. “That would have to be in my sophomore year of college when I dated this girl who was about six feet tall, so a few inches taller than me, and she broke up with me after a week because her friends were making fun of her for having a short boyfriend.”  
“Aww!” said Penny.  
“Yeah,” Harvey agreed. “I was pretty awkward in college too, so I couldn’t really say anything to her about it.” He cleared his throat. “Um, I guess it’s my turn? How about… Sebastian.”  
“Truth, baby, I’ve got nothing to hide,” said Sebastian nonchalantly.  
“Okay…” said Harvey. “Have you ever done something and let someone else take the blame for it?”  
“Oh yeah,” said Sebastian. “Loads of times. Like that time I squished some of Mayor Lewis’ flowers -”  
“That was YOU?!?!” Sam exclaimed. “Lewis yelled at me for a solid ten minutes!”  
Everyone laughed. “Okay, my turn,” said Sebastian. “Leah.”  
“Ooh…” said Leah. “...dare.”  
Sebastian laughed. “Okay, I got good one. We’re all going to pick three things… and you’re going to juggle them.”  
“Oh no!” cried Leah. “I’ve never been able to catch anything!”  
The group emptied out pockets and we ended up choosing Haley’s compact mirror, Elliott’s pocket comb, and a small crystal of Abigail’s.  
She took all the objects in her hands and sort of haphazardly tossed them into the air while everyone laughed. She ended up dropping Haley’s mirror in the water and had to wade in up to her knees to get it. She laughed it off though. I was glad she wasn’t embarrassed.   
“Elliott, Elliott, Elliott!” she exclaimed. “Truth or dare?”  
Elliott shrugged. “Dare. Why not?”  
Leah grinned. “I dare you… to kiss Oliver.”  
I felt my face turn crimson. My throat closed up, my stomach started trying to copy Haley’s cartwheels, and my heart just freaked out. I looked over at Elliott. To my surprise, he was blushing too.  
“Uh… al-alright then…” he said slowly. It was the first time I had ever heard him stutter.  
He was sitting a few spaces away from me, so he scooted over to me. My throat was still sealed up tight, so I could not say a word. I didn’t want to even look at anyone. I just squeezed my eyes shut.  
And then…  
Elliott gave me a little peck on the cheek.  
And my insides just melted.   
All the tension in my face and in my body and in my mind released and I felt calm and relaxed.   
I couldn’t even hear the oohs and ahhs and laughter of the rest of the group. I was flooded with indescribable bliss.   
Elliott cleared his throat. “Okay. Uh, Maru. Truth or dare?”  
While Maru was describing the worst trouble she ever got into as a kid, I glanced over at Elliott. To my surprise, he was looking at me. I made sure that everyone else’s attention was on Maru, then gave him a small smile. He smiled back.  
The game of Truth or Dare continued long into the night. Shane got dared to stand on his head for a full minute, and we got to hear the thrilling story of how Emily broke her entire left arm in the fourth grade.  
Eventually, at around one in the morning, we had all had enough. Everyone started to head off down the beach, but I stopped Elliott.  
“Hey…” I said. “A-Are we… good?”  
“Y-Yes, of course,” he said. “Do you think we’re okay?”  
“Oh, yeah,” I said. “I just… didn’t want things to be awkward.”  
Elliott shrugged. “I think we’re good.”  
I smiled. He smiled. “Good,” I said. Then I yawned. “I can’t believe I let myself stay up this late,” I said. “I’m going to have to get up early tomorrow for the first day of fall.”  
Elliott laughed. “Well then, you’d better get to bed.” He yawned. “In fact, so had I. Late nights are not good for the brain.”  
“Yeah,” I said. “Well… good night.”  
“Good night, Oliver,” said Elliott. “Sleep well.”  
When I collapsed into bed a few minutes later, I couldn’t go to sleep right away. I just kept replaying that incredible moment when Elliott kissed me over and over again. And I took comfort in the fact that I knew I could wake up the next morning not dreading the next time I saw him.   
It had been a good day.

* * *

The next day being the first of fall, I had a lot of work to do. I woke up early, (not the easiest of tasks considering how late I had gone to bed the previous night) cleared away the dead plants and the debris that had appeared overnight, went to Pierre’s, came back with a boatload of seeds, and planted and watered them all.   
After that I was way too tired to do anything else, so I just laid around the house, played with my dog, and watched TV.   
The next day, however, I was full of energy. So, after I finished watering my new fall crops, I decided to head down to the beach to see Elliott.  
Even though we had both agreed that we were alright after the game of Truth or Dare, a little corner of my brain was still a bit uneasy. So I just wanted to reassure myself that everything was fine.   
As I approached Elliott’s cabin, I heard something that sounded like music. I knocked on the door. Nobody answered, but I decided to take a chance and open the door.  
I saw Elliott, his back to the door, sitting on a small stool and playing the piano, which must have been the source of the sound.  
He didn’t turn around when I stepped inside, but kept playing like he didn’t have a care in the world.  
The music floated around the room and was soothing to the ears. I smiled. Watching him play reminded me of why I had felt so connected to him from the very start. He always poured everything he had into whatever he did.  
He finished the song, then turned his head and saw me standing by the door. “Ah… I thought someone was there.” He turned around on his stool.  
“That was wonderful,” I said.  
“Thank you.” Elliott smiled. “I’m not very good, but it’s fun to play.”  
“What are you talking about?” I asked incredulously. “Of course you’re good!”  
“Thank you,” he said modestly. He got off the stool and took a few steps, staring at the wall.He sighed. “I’ve been working night and day to try and finish my book…” He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. “It’s been driving me insane, Oliver.”  
“I can understand,” I said.  
“An occasional tune is the only recreation I allow myself.”  
“That’s not good!” I said worriedly. “You need to give yourself more than a break than that.”  
“I can’t help it!” he cried. “There’s just too must work to do! And my bank account’s starting to run dry.” He turned towards me and sighed again. “Sometimes I wish I could just throw it all away and become a farmer like you.”  
“Come live on the farm,” I blurted. “I could use the extra help.”  
I was amazed at what had just come out of my mouth, but Elliott seemed even more so. “Seriously?” he asked, aghast. He smiled and thought for a moment. “It sounds wonderful… but I can’t give up on my novel,” he said. “It’s already half-way done.”  
“Right, of course,” I said quickly.  
Elliott sighed. “... Sorry I’m complaining like this,” he said. “I just need someone to talk to now and then.”  
I smiled. “Don’t worry about it.”  
“Thank you, Oliver,” he said sincerely.   
Elliott and I spent the rest of the morning hanging out in his cabin. I really tried to get him to relax and give himself a break from his novel. It seemed to work too, at least for a little while.   
But the next day when I stopped by, he didn’t answer the door. I couldn’t hear anything from inside, but I was sure he was home.  
I didn’t see Elliott for the next couple days. He wouldn’t answer the door, he wouldn’t leave his house, and it was quiet as a tomb inside his cabin. I guessed he was working extra hard on his novel and didn’t want any distractions.   
But then, one day I looked at the calendar on the bulletin board at Pierre’s after an evening wandering the town and saw that it was the 4th of Fall.  
The next day was a very important day.  
The next day was the 5th of Fall.  
The next day was Elliott’s birthday.  
I kinda freaked out.  
It had caught me completely off guard and I was totally unprepared.  
Shoot.  
I went home and spent the next hour or so pacing around the house in a frantic funk trying to think of something really special I could get in time.  
I didn’t really end up thinking of anything, and my brain was too frazzled to do much more thinking, so I decided to sleep on it.   
The next morning, I woke up nervous. I checked the TV and Welwick told me that the spirits were pleased. Good luck day.  
That gave me an idea. What I normally did on good luck days was go to the mines. So I decided right then and there that I was going to go to the mines, mine all day if I had to, and find some sort of gem to give to Elliott for his birthday.   
A little ambitious, I know, but I really wanted to do something special for him on his special day.  
So I ran out of the house to water my plants as fast as humanly possible, shoved everything I didn’t need into a chest, and headed off to the mines.   
I had already gotten to about level 90, so well deep enough to find some nice gens. And it was a good luck day, so they would be even easier to find.  
So my morning and early afternoon was filled with climbing down ladders, breaking stuff with my steel pickaxe, and lots and lots of bats.  
But eventually, I managed to find one beautiful ruby. By then it was getting late in the afternoon, and I didn’t want to show up at Elliott’s house too late, so I decided to head out now.  
I took the elevator back up to the surface and went to the beach. When I got there, I knocked on Elliott’s door. He didn’t answer, but I saw a light on inside, so I knew he was home.  
I cautiously opened the door. I found him hunched over his writing desk, scribbling away on a piece of paper. He turned when he heard the door open.  
“Oliver?” he asked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”  
I smiled. “Don’t tell me you forgot.”  
Elliott looked puzzled. “Forgot what?”  
“What today is?”  
“... What is today?”  
“Elliott… It’s your birthday.”  
He slapped a hand to his forehead. “Oh my goodness, you’re right!” he exclaimed. “I completely forgot!”  
I laughed. “Well…” I said. “I brought you a present.”  
Elliott smiled. “Oh, you didn’t have to do that.”  
“I know. Here. Hold out your hands and close your eyes.”  
He did, and I dropped the ruby into his outstretched palms. “Okay, you can look.”  
He opened his eyes and looked down at his hands. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped at what he saw.   
“You can sell it if you want, you can keep it if you want, I don’t mind. I just wanted to give you something… something special.”  
“Of course I’m not going to sell it!” Elliott exclaimed. “It’s a terrific present from someone I care about. That’s worth much more to me than the gold it would sell for. Thank you so much.”  
With that he wrapped his arms around me in a hug. I hugged him back. “You’re welcome, Elliott. Happy birthday.”  
“Well, thank you so much for stopping by,” said Elliott, letting go of me. “But I should get back to work.”  
“Oh now you don’t!” I said. “It’s your birthday, you’ve been working too hard, you need a break.”  
He glanced worriedly at his writing desk. “But… my novel-”  
“Can wait,” I cut him off. “You need to relax. Come on, let’s go get something to eat.”  
We went to the saloon and got some fried calamari. I was glad I was able to drag Elliott away from his work. It wasn’t good for him to be working so hard all the time, especially on his birthday.  
After our meal, I walked with him back to his cabin.   
“Thanks for a delightful evening, Oliver,” he said.   
“You’re welcome,” I said. “It was a lot of fun. And I’m glad you took a break for once.”  
He laughed. “Yes, I admit I’ve been a bit of a workaholic lately,” he said. “But the funny thing is, I’m actually feeling extra inspired right now!”  
“Well that’s good!” I said. “Now go get some sleep. I’m sure you’re tired.”  
“No promises!” laughed Elliott. He smiled, waved, and disappeared into his house.   
I went to bed that night happy and relaxed.   
Mission: Accomplished.

* * *

“Dear Oliver,

It seems like you’re starting to get close with some of the townspeople. If you want to show someone that you’re romantically interested, you’ve got to give them one of my beautiful flower bouquets. I’m selling them now, for a very fair price! If you want to start a family someday, this is the first step!

-Pierre”

Oh shoot.  
Things are about to get real.   
I had never imagined asking Elliott to be my boyfriend before. And now it’s a possibility.   
But what would happen? Did he feel the same way? Was I even brave enough to do it? My mind was spinning in a million different directions.  
But then I noticed another letter in the mailbox. I reached in and pulled it out.

“Oliver,  
I have great news… my novel is finished! I’m giving a public reading this afternoon at the library. Hope to see you there!   
-Elliott”

I smiled to myself. So he hadn’t gotten any rest last night after all. I couldn’t believe that it was finally done. And I couldn’t wait to read it!  
After I had done the chores, I meandered into town. It was still morning, so it was a while before ELliott’s reading at the library. I ended up stopping in front of Pierre’s and just staring at the double doors.  
Should I do it? I kept asking myself. Should I march right in there and get that bouquet I so desperately wanted to get?”  
I didn’t march right in there, exactly, just sort of wandered in.  
“Hello, Oliver!” Pierre called.  
“Hi Pierre,” I said. “Thanks for the letter…” I cleared my throat. “C-Could I… take a look at those bouquets?”  
“Of course!” said Pierre. He brought out the bouquets and they were gorgeous. I looked at them and tried to picture myself giving one to Elliott.  
Surprisingly, it wasn’t that hard.  
I picked up the one I thought was the freshest. “I’ll take this one,” I said to Pierre.  
“Wonderful!” he smiled. I paid him his 200 gold, carefully nestled the bouquet in my backpack, and started to head out the door.  
“Oliver?” said Pierre. I turned. He smiled. “Good luck,” he said with a wink.  
I spent the rest of the morning walking around town, visiting friends, enjoying the sights and sounds of fall.  
A couple hours later it was time to go to the library. I stepped in the door to see a huge crowd. I think almost everybody in town showed up.  
Just then Elliott saw me and came over to me. “Oliver, you made it!” he said.  
“Hi!” I said. “Congratulations on finishing your book!”  
“Thank you,” he said and sighed. “I feel so relieved to be done… it’s like an elephant’s been lifted off my shoulders.”  
“I bet,” I said. “You worked really hard on it.”  
He nodded. “Yeah… I did.” He gave me a nervous smile. “Well, I’d better get started with the reading… wish me luck.”  
“Good luck!” I said. “You’re going to do great.”  
“Thanks,” he said as we walked to the front of the room. He cleared his throat.  
“Good afternoon, everyone,” he said. All eyes turned on him. I saw him take a deep breath.   
“Ever since I was a young boy,” he began, “I’ve dreamt of becoming a writer.”  
I tried to picture Elliott as a young boy. I wondered if he had had long hair back then.  
“When the time came for me to leave home and start my own life, I moved here. I was drawn to the peaceful beauty of the valley and hoped that days of quiet reflection in this idyllic atmosphere would fan the literary flames.”  
I couldn’t take my eyes off of him as he spoke. I couldn’t help but remember first meeting him on the bridge by the beach. Somehow, I had known that there was something special about him, and getting to know him had only reaffirmed that to me. Hearing him talk so passionately about what he loved reminded me of why that bouquet was in my backpack right now.  
“After countless hours scribbling at my writing desk, I present to you my first book: ‘Blue Tower’.” Elliott held up the book. “It’s a mystery novel set in a surreal, dystopian future.” He opened the book. “Chapter One. From the shadows emerged a man, radiating with enigmatic emniscience. ‘Good evening, Mr. Lu,’ he said, the corners of his mouth quivering. Lu seemed astonished. ‘How did you know my name?’”  
Elliott spent the next several minutes reading aloud the gripping first chapter of his both. It had me on the edge of my seat the whole time.   
“...Lu checked Jenu’s pockets, then stood up and walked into the bedroom. He quickly found the small golden key that he was looking for and slipped it into his coat pocket.” With that, Elliott closed the book. “Well, that concludes my reading. I’ll be selling signed copies by the front desk. Thanks for listening!”  
As the rest of the room made their way to the front desk, Elliott went over to me. “Well, how was it?” he asked.  
“Fantastic!” I said. “I can’t wait to read the rest!”  
“Thanks.” Elliott smiled.  
I took a deep breath and looked him in the eye. “Hey…” I said. “I just gotta tell you… I am so proud of you.”  
Elliott looked surprised. “You are?” he asked.  
“Of course!” I said. “You’ve been working so hard for so long and now… now it’s finally paid off.” I smiled.   
I couldn’t tell if it was my imagination or not, but it seemed to me that Elliott blushed. “Thank you…” he said, running his hand along the spine of his book.  
“You know,” he said, “I got the idea for making a mystery from you. Do you remember?”  
“Oh, yeah!” I said, remembering the first time I visited him at his house. Then it hit me. “Wait… y-you wrote a mystery because it’s my favorite genre?”  
“Yes,” said Elliott. This time I was sure it wasn’t my imagination, he was definitely blushing. “That’s also why I’ve dedicated this book to you…”  
I gasped. “A-Are you serious?” I asked incredulously.  
Elliott laughed. “See for yourself.” He opened his book to the first page and held it up for me to read.  
“To my dear friend Oliver, without whom this book may never have reached your hands.”  
I stared in disbelief. I was absolutely speechless. “Th-Thank you…” I managed to sputter.  
“You’re welcome,” said Elliott. He stepped a little closer to me and put the book in my hands. “I’d like you to have this,” he said. “As a thank you.”  
“Thank you, Elliott,” I said. “I can’t wait to read it.” I took a deep breath and looked into his eyes as he smiled at me.  
Seeing that smiled gave me just the courage I needed.  
“Th-That reminds me…” I said, putting the book in my backpack. “I-I have something for you too.”  
Elliott smiled excitedly. “What is it?” he asked. “Some fresh corn? A ripe yam?”   
“N-No,” I said, closing my hand around the stems of the flowers of the bouquet. “I-It’s something… a little different.” I’m sure my face was bright red.   
My throat felt like it was coated with sand at this point, so I just took out the bouquet and held it out to him without a word.  
His mouth fell open, and his already pink face turned even pinker. “I’ll accept this,” he said. “Thank you.” He took it from my hand and looked down at it, still blushing. “I didn’t know you felt the same.”  
“R-Really?” I asked in disbelief. “A-Are you sure?”  
He smiled at me. “Of course I’m sure. You’re a great person, Oliver. I think you forget that sometimes.”  
I was shaking all over. I couldn’t force anything out of my mouth, so I just threw my arms around him. I heard him drop the bouquet to the floor. Then I felt his arms wrap around me as he held me close.  
I started to cry. I couldn’t help it. Everything about the last few months had all been worthwhile.   
Elliott gave me a concerned look. “Why are you crying, Oliver?” he asked. He put his hand on my face and wiped away a tear with his thumb.  
That just made me cry harder. I hugged him tighter, and we both just stood there holding each other in the quiet stillness of the empty library.

* * *

When I woke up the next day, I wasn’t sure if the events of the previous day had been a dream or not. I wouldn’t have been surprised if it was. Everything had gone too perfectly. It must have been a dream.  
I sat on the bed and sighed. It had been a wonderful dream, the best I’d ever had. I was sad it was over.   
Oh well. That’s life, I suppose. I got up and headed outside to start on the chores.  
As I was gathering the eggs, it occured to me that I did have a way to tell if it had been a dream or not. Elliott had given me a copy of “Blue Tower”. If I could find it in my house, everything I thought I had dreamed had actually been real.  
I was sure I wouldn’t find it, so I didn’t hurry as I put the collected eggs in the bin to sell. After that, I went inside to look for the book, just for fun.   
To my astonishment and delight, I found the copy of “Blue Tower” sitting on my shelf, right where I had left it. It had been real.  
I hugged the book to my chest.  
Elliott was my boyfriend.  
So I packed up some fresh corn and went off to go visit my boyfriend.   
As I walked past Marnie’s Ranch, basket in hand, I heard someone call my name. I turned. It was Leah, smiling and waving at me by the riverbank near her house.  
I waved back and walked over to her. “Hi Leah!” I said. “How are you?”   
“I’m good, but oh my god, I’m so happy for you!” she squealed.   
“H-Happy for me?” I asked confusedly.  
“Yes!” she said. “Elliott told me all about it. It was one of the sweetest things I’ve ever heard.” She suddenly covered her mouth and looked worried. “Oh… I hope that’s okay. I don’t know if-”  
“Oh, no, no, no!” I said quickly. “It- It’s fine. Don’t worry about it. I know ...how close you guys are.”  
“Yeah,” she nodded. “Elliott’s been my best friend ever since he moved here. But I’ve always thought you two would make a cute couple.”  
I felt my cheeks turn pink. “Really?”  
“Of course! Why do you think I dared him to kiss you at the Dance of the Moonlight Jellies?”  
My face turned even pinker. “...Thanks for that…”  
Leah laughed. “No problem.” She looked at the sky thoughtfully. “Yeah,” she said. “I could tell he liked you long before he ever told me.” She shook her head. “But I should let him tell you more about that.”  
I didn’t really know what to say to that. So I just smiled and kicked at the ground awkwardly.  
“Well,” I said finally. “I better get going…”  
“Oh, of course, of course!” said Leah. “Don’t let me keep you any longer. I’ll see you later!”  
“See you!” I waved and walked off in the direction of the beach.  
I didn’t really mind that Elliott had told Leah we were together. It was just so new.  
I knocked on Elliott’s door and he answered in about two seconds.  
“Oliver!” he exclaimed with a beaming smile. He gave me a hug. Even though we had hugged several times already, it still gave me butterflies. “You know, I was just thinking about you,” he said.  
“Really?”  
He nodded and smiled. “Maybe you sensed it.”  
I laughed quietly but said nothing. I wondered how often he thought about me.  
“So!” he said, ushering me inside his cabin. “Tell me about your day.”  
“It’s been good so far,” I said. “When I woke up this morning I thought yesterday was a dream.”  
“To be honest, so did I,” Elliott confided. “I saw the bouquets in Pierre’s shop yesterday morning. I almost bought one. But I was too afraid.”  
It astonished me that I had done something that Elliott had been too scared to do. I didn’t say that though. Instead I said “You didn’t need to be afraid.”  
Elliott laughed. “I see that now! When I woke up this morning, I thought my brain had made it all up as wishful thinking. But then I saw these.” He gestured to the bouquet I had given him, standing up in a vase on his desk.   
“It was the same with me,” I said. “I didn’t believe it had been real until I found the copy of ‘Blue Tower’ you gave me on my shelf.”  
Elliott smiled. “I’ve never been so glad to have a dreamless night in all my life.”  
I smiled back. His eyes were distractingly gorgeous, as always. I nearly forgot why I had come.  
Then I remembered. “Oh!” I said. I held out the basket of corn, bowing low. “Some fresh corn for you, m’lord.”  
Elliott laughed. “Many thanks, my good sir.” He took the basket and looked inside. “Oh my goodness, they look delicious!”  
“Thank you.”  
He set the basket on his desk. “Enough of this,” he said. “I need to get out of the house. Would you like to go on a walk?”  
I smiled sheepishly. “Yes, I would like that very much.”  
“Wonderful!” said Elliott and extended his hand.  
I stared at it for a moment in surprise, then, a grin slowly spreading across my face, took it.  
We had a lovely walk, down the beach, through town, and around Cindersap Forest. The smell of the dead leaves filled our noses as we crunched through them. Several times I looked over at Elliott, he looked back at me, and we smiled at each other.  
Neither of us wanted to go home, so we ended up spending the rest of the day together. We did some shopping at Pierre’s, had a delicious meal at the saloon, and when it got dark, Elliott walked me home.   
“Thank you for a splendid day,” he said when we reached my porch.  
“Thank you too,” I said. “It was a lot of fun… spending time with you.”  
He smiled. “We’ll have to do it again sometime. Sometime soon.”  
“Agreed,” I nodded. “Good night, Elliott.”  
“Good night, Oliver,” he said, giving me a hug. “Sweet dreams.”  
I went inside, closed the door, leaned against it and sank to the floor.   
What had my life become? I couldn’t wait to find out.

* * *

My mind wouldn’t stop buzzing about Elliott for the next several days. I just couldn’t stop thinking about him.  
I had a lot of work to do, upgrading my house, building new farm buildings, but as soon as I could, I went to go visit Elliott.   
I actually ran into him in front of Haley and Emily’s house. “Hi, Elliott!” I said. I ran up to him and gave me a hug.  
“Hello, Oliver!” he said. Just then, he put a hand to his shirt pocket and looked inside. “Oh dear!” he said with a laugh. “A tiny crab appears to have made his home in my shirt pocket. That’s the trouble with living on the beach.”  
“Aww, let me see!” I looked in his pocket. Sure enough, a tiny crab was nestled in a little pile of sand.   
“He can ride in my pocket for now, but I’ll let him go when I get home.”  
I nodded. “Good idea.” I rocked back and forth on my feet. “Do you… want to hang out?”  
Elliott frowned. “Oh… I’m sorry, but I already promised Leah I would spend time with her today. Rain check?”  
“Oh - sure. Yeah, that’s… that’s fine.”  
He smiled. “Thanks. I’ll see you later!” He waved as he walked off in the direction of Leah’s house.  
I waved back. I won’t lie, I was disappointed.   
But it was okay… Leah and Elliott were best friends… I had nothing to worry about… right…?

* * *

 

That thought kept pulling at the back of my mind. I couldn’t help but wonder. I had no idea what was going through his head. Was I on the same level as Leah in there? I had no way of knowing for sure. It bothered me for days.   
Then one day we decided to do some shopping at Pierre’s together. When we got there, there was no one else there. Being with him and talking and laughing made me relax for a little bit. Maybe everything’s okay, I thought to myself.  
“Maybe I’ll plant radishes next summer,” I was saying to Elliott. He nodded and was about to say something, when the bell by the door jingled merrily. He looked over his shoulder. His face lit up when he saw who it was. Mine did not.  
“Leah!” he called. She saw us and waved.  
“Hey, you guys!” she said as she came over to us. “How are you?”  
“Fine,” I said.  
“I’m doing wonderfully, thank you!” said Elliott. “And you?”  
“I’m great!” she said. She rubbed her stomach. “I had a huge plate of mushrooms and eggs for breakfast. I’m still full.”  
“Oh, Oliver and I were just talking about those wild mushrooms a little while ago! Weren’t we, Oliver?”  
I nodded, my lips clamped tightly shut.  
“They are delicious, aren’t they?” asked Leah.  
“They certainly are,” replied Elliott. “You can find a lot of delicious things in the forest this time of year. Like blackberries for instance…”  
And so followed a long discussion about the best places to find blackberries. Almost too long of a discussion. That turned into wild plums. And then hazelnuts. All the while I stood there stewing.  
“Oh, roasted hazelnuts are the best!” said Leah. “Have you ever tried them, Oliver?”  
“No.”  
“Oh my gosh, they’re amazing!” she exclaimed. “Let me give you my recipe.”  
“No, that’s okay,” I said. “I should actually really be going.”  
Elliott gave me a disappointed look. “Oh, so soon?” he asked.  
“Yeah. See you.” And without I walked straight out the door without buying anything.  
I was filled with a whirlwind of emotions. I was a strange mixture of sad, worried, angry, and a million other things. I couldn’t pinpoint exactly how I felt about the amount of time Elliott was spending with Leah, but I knew I didn’t like it.  
I decided to go talk to him about it. It would make me feel really weird if I didn’t, so that afternoon I went over to his house.  
“Hello, Oliver,” he said when he answered the door. “Are you doing alright?”  
“Yeah, I’m fine,” I said. I crossed my arms and looked at him. “So… Leah.”  
Elliott gave me a puzzled look. “...What about her?”  
“You’ve been friends for… a long time, huh?”  
“Y-Yes, we’re… pretty close. Why?”  
“How close?”  
Elliott looked even more confused. “I… I don’t know what you mean. What are you trying to say?”  
“What I’m trying to say is: You spending so much time with Leah is making me feel bad.”  
“I’m sorry,” said Elliott, taken aback. “She’s one of my best friends I can’t just… stop talking to her.” He looked at me worriedly. “You don’t think there’s… something going on between us, do you?”  
“I don’t know!” I exclaimed. “For all I know, there is! Why else are you spending so much time with her?”  
“Because she’s my best friend!” said Elliott. “I don’t know what else to tell you!”  
I was starting to get really annoyed. “Oh, please! Isn’t that what they always say?”  
Elliott looked hurt. “Do you really think I would actually do something like that to you?”  
“How should I know?” I asked. “Do you really have nothing to say for yourself right now?”  
“I’m just telling you what I have to say. Leah and I are just friends. That’s the truth. Do you trust me?”  
“You know what, I’m not sure!” I snapped.  
Elliott suddenly grabbed me by the shoulders. He looked straight at me, and I thought I could almost see tears welling in his eyes. “Please,” he said. “Please believe me. I have no desire to cause you pain. My feelings are as far from that as possible. ‘I love you with so much of my heart that none is left to protest.’ All I can say is please… please believe me.”  
“Why should I?” I asked hotly. “How do I know that you’re not spewing total garbage right now?”  
Elliott sighed. “I can’t change how you feel. All I can tell you is how I feel.”  
I exploded. “Well, if that’s all you have to say, then forget it. I don’t need this.” I turned sharply on my heel and walked straight out the door. I didn’t look back.  
I flounced all the way to the farmhouse. I couldn’t believe Elliott had nothing to say for himself. It made me furious. I kicked at my bedside table in anger.  
Something fell off the table and bounced off my foot. I looked down at the bright blue cover of “Blue Tower”. The memory of the day Elliott had given it to me came flooding back.  
I remembered thinking about how much passion Elliott poured into everything he did. I picked up the book and opened it to the first page.   
“To my dear friend Oliver, without whom this book may never have reached your hands.”  
These were not the words of a dishonest man. All at once I realized how incredibly ignorant I had been.  
I had been projecting my own insecurities onto Elliott, and I knew it. His friendship with Leah should have been a reassurance of his kindness, not a warning that he was unloyal. I felt my lower lip quiver as I replayed our last conversation.  
I could hardly believe my own cruelty.  
Throwing the book on my bed, I immediately dashed out the front door. Heart pounding, I ran as fast as I could back to Elliott’s house.  
I stopped in front of his door. Would he even answer my knock? I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t. But I had to try.  
Elliott opened the door the second he heard the knock. He looked at me, and the moment I saw his face, full of a mixture of hope, sadness, and longing, I burst into tears.   
Without a word, Elliott wrapped his arms around me.  
“I’m… I’m so sorry…” I managed to gasp between sobs.  
“Shh…” said Elliott, running his fingers through my hair.  
“I’m a horrible person.”  
“No you’re not.”  
“I won’t blame you if you hate me now.”  
“I could never hate you.”  
Elliott took me inside and we sat side by side on his bed. I was still weeping. He sat there with his arm around me until I had calmed down sufficiently to carry on a conversation.   
“I’m so, so sorry,” I said, sniffing. “I was feeling insecure and I took it out on you. I’m a terrible excuse for a boyfriend.” I gulped. “I guess… I guess I thought that I wasn’t enough. That… that someone like you could never really care for someone like me. But I know that’s a lame excuse.”  
I looked at Elliott, tears still streaming down my face. “I know it’s too much to ask… but can you ever forgive me?”  
Elliott sighed. “I can’t pretend what you said didn’t hurt,” he said. “It really cut me deeply to have my feelings for you disregarded like that.”  
He took a deep breath. “Relationships... are built on trust,” he said. “Do you trust me?”  
“Absolutely.”  
He gave me a small smile. “I trust you too,” he said. “I forgive you.”  
The tears came flooding back. I wrapped my arms around him and sobbed.   
“I will never doubt again,” I said.  
“There will never be a need,” said Elliott. “We’ll be okay. We’ll be better than okay.”  
I looked into his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek. I put my hand on his face and wiped it away with my thumb. “Thank you,” I said. “I don’t deserve someone like you.”  
“Believe me,” said Elliott, taking my hand. “You do.”

* * *

Elliott and I agreed to never mention that incident again. We had promised to always be 100% honest with each other, so there wouldn’t really even be a need to. I also issued a formal apology to Leah, which she gracefully accepted. It was even followed by a long and pleasant chat, so I knew my relationship with her hadn’t suffered either.  
I was glad.  
I was kept busy on the farm, chopping down trees, tending to the small flower bed I had started by my Grandpa’s shrine, and putting together my grange display for the Stardew Valley Fair.  
I was hurrying through town after processing some geodes at Clint’s to see if I could forage for some blackberries before it got dark, when I heard someone call my name.  
Elliott was standing on the bridge by the beach. “Oliver!” he said. “What’s the hurry? Come stand next to me, It’s lovely by the water.”  
I shook my head. “Sorry, I’d love to, but I can’t. I need to see if I can get some foraging done before dark.”  
Elliott frowned. “You know, I think you work too much sometimes.”  
“I know,” I said. “Sorry I’ve been so busy.”  
“This time it’s my turn,” he said. “You need a break. Why don’t you take the day off tomorrow?”  
“I don’t know…” I said reluctantly.   
“Come on,” he said. “It’s not healthy to work all the time. Someone very dear to me taught me that. Let’s just spend some quality time together. What do you say?”  
I smiled. How could I say no to that face? “Okay,” I said. “I guess I can take one day off.   
“Wonderful!” Elliott beamed. “Just come by my house first thing tomorrow morning. And don’t you dare do any work before you do!”  
I laughed and saluted him. “Yes, sir,” I said with mock seriousness.   
I did snag some blackberries from the bushes as I walked home. Don’t tell Elliott.

The next morning, I woke up, and, per Elliott’s orders, did not water the plants. I did, however, water the dog. So sue me.  
I went over to Elliott’s house and knocked on the door. He opened it and scooped me up into a hug. I felt my insides go all warm and gooey.  
“Hello!” he exclaimed.  
“Hi!” I said, surprised.  
We went inside. I sat on his bed and he sat on the piano stool.   
“So,” he said. “What do you want to do?”  
Only then did I realize; we hadn’t actually planed what to do.  
“Uh…” I said. “I… don’t know. What do you want to do?”  
“Hmm…” He leaned back and looked at the ceiling. We both sat there for a minute and thought.   
“You know…” Elliott said finally. “I’ve always wanted to learn how to fish.” He looked at me. “Do you… think you could teach me?”  
“Sure!” I said. “There should be albacore in the ocean this time of year. This is the perfect time to catch one. Let’s go!”  
We went and stood on the dock. I took out my fishing rod. “So, I said. “Here’s how you cast your line…”  
I showed him the basics of fishing. He caught on pretty quickly. He reeled in two broken CDs and three pieces of driftwood before finally catching an albacore. He through it back though. He said he was just fishing for the fun of it and didn’t want to kill anything.  
“Brr…” I said, rubbing my hands together.  
“Are you cold?” asked Elliott.  
“A little,” I replied. “It’s starting to be that time of year.”  
“Why didn’t you say so?” asked Elliott. “Let’s go get some coffee at the saloon. That’ll warm you right up.”  
A few minutes later, we sat down at a table with our hot mugs of coffee.  
“What would you like to do now?” asked Elliott.  
“Well, I’d like to take you out to a fancy restaurant, but there aren’t any fancy restaurants in Pelican Town,” I said.  
Elliott snapped his fingers. “I’ve got an idea,” he said. “You’ve got a kitchen, right?”  
“Yeah, I upgraded my house the other day.”  
“So then let’s make our own fancy restaurant! We’ll gather up all the ingredients and make ourselves a nice dinner without having to go out!”  
“Oh, I love that idea!” I exclaimed. “I’ve written down a bunch of recipes from the Queen of Sauce, do you want to go look through them and pick some things to make?”  
Elliott smiled. “Yes, let’s do that.”  
We went to my house and flipped through my recipe book. We decided on vegetable medley, salmon dinner with glazed yams, and pumpkin pie for dessert.   
We got the yams and pumpkin from my farm, but we had to go to Pierre’s for the rest of the produce. We picked out the best looking vegetables together and put them in a basket. I let Elliott take them back to the farmhouse while I caught a salmon from the river.  
When I returned with the salmon, Elliott had all the ingredients laid out on the counter. I put the fish in the fridge until it was time to cook it, and then we got to cooking.   
“Do you want to have the TV going while we cook?” I asked Elliott.  
“Sure, if there’s anything good on.”  
I scrolled through the channels. Suddenly, a man leaning over the edge of a boat appeared on the screen. “Do you know what that sound is, Highness?”  
“Those are the shrieking eels!” said Elliott, looking over at the TV.  
“You know this movie?” I asked in excitement.  
“Of course!” he said. “It’s been my favorite ever since I was a little boy. Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge-”  
“Giants, monsters,” I continued. “Chases, escapes-”  
“True love,” Elliott and I said in unison. “Miracles.”  
We grinned at each other. I turned up the volume and we half-watched, half-cooked for the rest of the afternoon, passing each other ingredients and quoting the movie every two minutes. It was one of the most pleasant afternoons I’ve ever had.  
When all the cooking was finally done, we sat down together at my dining table.  
“Well, this looks delightful!” said Elliott. “I’m proud of us.”  
“Me too,” I said. “Now, let’s eat!”  
The food was delicious, and we spent the meal talking and laughing about nothing in particular.  
By the time we had finished eating and done all the dishes, it was getting late. “I suppose I should be going,” said Elliott slowly.  
“Yes, I suppose,” I said. “Come on, I’ll walk you home.”  
Elliott smiled. “How gallant.” I offered him my arm and he took it. Together we walked through my farm in the warm glow of the late evening sun, admiring the auburn colored leaves and the blue sky marbled with gold from the setting sun.  
When we reached the beach, Elliott and I looked at each other. We both had looks on our faces that seemed to say “I don’t want you to go.” So, without saying a word, we sat down together on the beach, hand in hand.  
Neither of us spoke as the sun began to slip down behind the horizon. But as the last few rays were disappearing behind the waves, Elliott sighed. “Sometimes, I wish the sun wouldn’t go down…”  
I said nothing. I didn’t feel a need to. I just rested my head on his shoulder as the stars came out, one by one.

* * *

“Dear Oliver,

One week from today, we are holding the Stardew Valley Fair in the town square!  
It’s the biggest event of the year, drawing people from all across the country to our humble town.  
If you’d like, you can set up a grange display for the event. Just bring up to 9 items that best showcase your talents. You’ll be judged on the quality and diversity of your display.  
The fair starts at 9AM… don’t be late!

 

-Mayor Lewis”

I read this letter over again as I double checked my backpack. Gold quality pumpkin, artichoke, egg, and common mushroom? Check. Gold bar? Check. Ruby and amethyst? Check. Largemouth bass given to me by Linus? Check. Chanterelle from my mushroom cave? Check.   
It was the 16th of fall and time for the fair!  
I headed over with my backpack full of things. The whole town square was set up with fair games, a row of large boxes was in front of Pierre’s shop, and over by the old community center, I could see some picnic tables and smell burgers cooking.  
I set up my grange display, wished the other contestants, Pierre, Marnie, and Willy good luck, then wandered off to see what the fair was all about.   
After trying my hand at the fishing game and watching Mayor Lewis’ “budget clown” for a bit, I wandered over to the food area, where Gus had set up a large barbeque and was grilling some burgers.  
“Eat up!” he said. “It’s all free today, compliments of Mayor Lewis.”  
“Thanks!” I helped myself to one.  
“Oh! Make sure to dribble some of my special sauce on there.”  
“Will do,” I said. I lifted up the bun and put some on the patty, and had just taken a huge bite when I ran smack into Elliott.  
“Hello!” he said in surprise.  
“Mmmff!” I said. I chewed as fast as I could. “Sorry. Hi!” I said. “Mmm, these burgers are just too good.”  
“I know,” said Elliott. “I’m trying to get Gus to tell me his sauce recipe, but he won’t budge.”  
Suddenly, I heard Mayor Lewis from the town square. “The grange displays have been judged! If you entered, come see me for the results!”  
“Sorry,” I said to Elliott. “I have to go. I entered a grange display and I want to see how I did.”  
“Ooh, can I see?” he asked.  
“Sure!” I said. We walked down the steps and I showed him my grange display.  
“Wow, that looks fantastic!” he said.  
I smiled. “Thanks, but I wonder how I did compared to Pierre…”  
Elliott looked over at Pierre’s display, filled to the brim with gorgeous produce. “I think you’ve got him beat.”  
“Really?”   
“I think so,” he said. “He only has fruits and vegetables in his. You’ve got vegetables, mushrooms, minerals, an animal product, and a fish! Didn’t Mayor Lewis say he judges on diversity of items?”  
“Yeah… well, I guess we’ll see.” I walked nervously over to Mayor Lewis, Elliott following close behind.  
“Hi, Mayor Lewis,” I said.  
“Oliver!” he said. “Congratulations! You won 1st place with a score of 95!”  
“What?!?” I asked incredulously. I felt Elliott give me an excited hug from behind. “Thank you!”  
“You’re welcome!” Mayor Lewis said cheerfully. “Your prize is 1000 star tokens. Spend them wisely.”  
“Thank you!” I said, open-mouthed as he handed them to me.  
“What are you going to spend them on?” Elliott asked.  
“I had something in mind…”  
I went over to the booth where you exchanged your star tokens for prizes, had a word with the attendant, and went back over to Elliott.   
“What did you get?”  
“A turnip-headed Rarecrow! They’re going to deliver him tonight.”  
“Wonderful!” said Elliott. “Your crops will be resting easy soon.”  
Elliott and I spent a while talking to the rest of the townspeople who were gathered in the square. Suddenly, Haley tapped me on the shoulder.   
“Hey, Oliver…” she said. “Have you been to the fortune teller?”  
“No,” I said. “Where is she?”  
“She set up her stand in the graveyard,” said Haley. “I already saw her… she told me something… interesting.” She giggled. “You should really go see her,” she said with a wink.  
Interesting? What could that mean? “Okay, sure,” I said. I excused myself and headed over to the graveyard.  
Inside a red and white tent in the graveyard sat a hooded woman hunched over a crystal ball. I recognized her as Welwick of Welwick’s Oracle. I approached her cautiously.   
“Ah, yes…” she said as I came near. “My crystal ball is swirling with visions of your future, yount one. You cross my palm with gold and I’ll tell you many things!”  
“Sure…” I said. I paid her.  
Suddenly, she placed a hand on my forehead. My eyelids became heavy and they closed of their own accord.  
Welwick’s voice came floating to me. “Ahh…” it said. “I see you in the saloon, surrounded by friends. It doesn’t seem like you have any favorites… you’re popular with everyone!”  
“Now I see you and Elliott in a field of grass,” she said next. “You seem happy.”  
“The crystal ball has moved on…” she continued. “AH! You’re in combat! There’s something dreadful bearing down on you from the dark, but you seem more than ready to face it.”  
“Ah… the crystal ball has gone dim. That’s all I can do for you, young one.”  
I heard her snap her fingers, and my eyes fluttered open. “Now, just keep in mind that the future isn’t set in stone!” she said. “Whatever I’ve told you today can still be changed, if you set your heart on it. Farewell.”  
I walked away without a word.   
Me and Elliott in a field of grass? Seeming happy? What could that mean?

* * *

“Meet me at the docks on a sunny morning. I’ve got something in mind.

-Elliott”

Something in mind? I wondered what. I put the letter in my pocket. Of course I was going to take him up on his offer, even if I didn’t know what it was.   
I just needed to water my plants, collect the eggs, and then I was off.  
It was a beautiful late fall morning. The trees had lost almost all of their leaves and there was a slight chill in the air that foretold the coming of winter.  
I saw Elliott standing on the dock next to a rowboat that was bobbing in the water. I walked over to him, the old wooden dock cracking under my feet.   
“Hey,” he said when I came near.  
“Hi.”  
“Look,” said Elliott, gesturing to the rowboat. “I fixed up that old rowboat that’s been sitting by my house. Pretty nice, huh?”  
“Yeah,” I said. “I always thought that old thing would never see the light of day again. You did a good job.”  
“Thank you,” he said. Then he looked at me, his cheeks slightly pink. “Oliver… Would you do me the honor of joining me for her maiden voyage?”  
I smiled. “I’d like that very much.”  
“Excellent. Shall we be off?” He extended his hand and helped me into the boat, then got in after me. He took the oars in his hands and began to row away from the dock.  
Before long it was just the two of us, alone out on the open water. The bracing sea air ruffled my hair as we drifted along.  
“So my book’s been out for a while now…” said Elliott. “It’s not a best-seller or anything, but it’s been getting some good reviews from the critics.”  
“That’s good!” I said. “Those critics know what they’re talking about.”  
“...And I really couldn’t have finished it without your moral support.”  
I opened my mouth to say “Aww!” but he interrupted me.  
“Actually, that’s not true. I would have finished it either way.”  
I chuckled. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”  
“But I am grateful that you believed in me… in my vision. And, well…” I saw him gulp. “Um… Oliver? How do I say this…”  
“Say what?”  
Elliott tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. “Well, we’ve been friends for a while now… But I’m… I’m not sure if I feel that way about you anymore.”  
I felt my heart drop into my stomach. “What?” I asked.  
“No!” said Elliott hurriedly. “I’m not saying I want to cut all ties with you!”  
I breathed a small sigh of relief. “Good,” I said quietly.  
“In fact… quite the opposite,” Elliott said slowly. His face was turning pinker by the second. “...Let’s see, how do I put this…?” He smiled and looked out at the horizon. “For once, I’m at a loss for words…”  
Suddenly, he turned his head and looked directly into my eyes. He took both of my hands in his, and his warmth penetrated my skin, right down into the very depths of my soul.  
And then…  
He leaned forward and kissed me.  
A real kiss.  
I felt like I was flying through the air. I closed my eyes and let that warm, indescribable bliss fill me from head to toe.   
Elliott pulled back. “Oliver?” he asked, our faces still mere inches apart. “You’re trembling…”  
I was? I hadn’t noticed. “I’m happy…”  
Elliott sighed. “...I was worried you might not feel this way about another man.”  
I smiled and shook my head. I could feel tears brimming in my eyes. I put my hand behind his neck, pulled his face closer to mine, and kissed him right back.  
Finally, Elliott said, “We’d better head back before the southern wind picks up.”  
I nodded, and he began to row us back to the dock. As he did, he looked back at the beach. “Look at the valley from here…” he said to me. “It finally looks like ‘Home’.”  
I squeezed his hand. “It really does.”  
He looked over at me and sighed. “What a day…”  
I nodded and smiled. “What a day indeed…”

* * *

 

“Oliver,

I’m going to give you this advice because I like you and I want you to stay in Pelican Town. If there comes a day that you want to ask for someone’s hand in marriage, you’ll need to give them a ‘Mermaid’s Pendant’. Don’t worry, everyone in Pelican Town understands the significance of the amulet. It’s an ancient tradition in this region.  
Good luck!

-Lewis”

My heart leapt into my throat. Was I ready? Was it even conceivable that I could ask Elliott to marry me?  
No, I decided. No, no, definitely not.  
Still, part of me was curious. So when I went into town that morning I decided to look for Mayor Lewis.  
I found him working on his flower beds in front of his house. “Hi, Oliver!” he said. He stood up and brushed the dirt off his pants. “How are you? Did you get my letter?”  
“I’m doing good, thanks,” I said. ‘And… yes, I did. But I… don’t think I’m quite ready to be… proposing to anybody right now.”  
“Alright,” said Mayor Lewis. “There’s no pressure.”  
“I am kind of curious, though,” I said. “Can you tell me more about the Mermaid’s Pendant?”  
“Actually, not really,” he admitted. “Nobody really knows where they come from. Everybody gets theirs in different ways, so there isn’t really one singular place to get them. It differs from area to area.”  
“Oh.”  
“...And all the married couples in town right now moved here after they were married, so they didn’t get their pendants here.”  
“Oh.”  
Mayor Lewis rubbed the back of his neck. “Sorry… I didn’t think this through very much.”  
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’ll just have to… figure out another way.”  
“Maybe try the library?” suggested Mayor Lewis. “I know not all of the books are there right now, but there might be something.”  
“Good idea,” I agreed. “I’ll go do that now. Thanks for the advice!”  
“Good luck!” Mayor Lewis waved as I walked off in the direction of the library.

“Marriage Guide for Farmers

Before you ask someone to marry you, you’ll have to date them for a while first (Ask someone to date you with a bouquet from Pierre’s).  
When you’re ready to pop the big question, you’ll need to give them a ‘Mermaid’s Pendant’. Everyone knows what it means when you present them with one of those.  
It’s rumored that on stormy days, the ghost of an old mariner appears in Stardew Valley, clutching just such a pendant.  
After the wedding ceremony, your partner will move in with you. Remember to treat your spouse well… They still like gifts even after marriage!

(Paid for by Pierre)”

It seemed like I was going to have to wait until a rainy day before I could find this old mariner. It was almost the end of Fall, so I wasn’t sure if there would be any rain before winter, but I checked the weather channel every morning, just in case.  
And then, on the 25th of fall…  
“It’s going to rain all day tomorrow.”  
Okay, great! Now all I had to do was figure out where to even find this ghost.  
The next day, since it was raining, I didn’t have much work to do, so I could spend the majority of the day hunting for the old mariner. I looked in Cindersap Forest, by the train station, and even in the secret woods, to no avail.  
Eventually, i found myself on the beach. I didn’t find anything unusual on the main part of the beach, and I was about to head home in defeat, when I remembered another, closed-off area of the beach.  
I looked at the broken bridge that connected the two strips of beach. What the heck, why not?  
I went home and grabbed some wood from my stash and headed back to the beach to fix the bridge.  
When I got it done, I cautiously walked across it. There were some tide pools, a few pieces of coral, and a dock that led out to the ocean. And sure enough, behind a pile of driftwood, was the translucent image of an old bearded man wearing a straw hat, staring off into the distance.   
I approached him apprehensively. His gaze quickly snapped to me. “Ah…” he croaked. “I can see it in yer eyes… There be a special someone in yer heart”  
I nodded silently.  
“Just so happens I’m sellin’ a ‘Mermaid’s Pendant’,” he continued. “Give that to yer intended and they’ll know exactly what you mean.”  
My mind was racing. Was I actually going to do this right now?   
No, I told myself. Don’t freak yourself out. Since it was so close to winter, there probably wasn’t going to be any rain for a while, so I decided to buy it to… save it for later.  
“I-I’d like one, please,” I told the mariner.  
“This be a rare thing, this pendant,” he said. “So I’m afraid I’m going to have to charge you a mighty high price. It’ll be costing you 5000g.”  
“Oh,” I said nervously. I checked my money pouch. “I’m sorry, I… don’t have that much.” My farm had never been that big, and I was working on upgrading my barn and coop, so I was a little short on cash.  
The ghost shook his head. “That’s a shame… but I can’t be giving this pendant out to just anybody.”  
“I understand,” I nodded. “Maybe next time.”  
The ghost nodded. “Good luck there, lad.”  
I trudged through the pouring rain back to my farmhouse. I wasn't disappointed. There was always next time.

* * *

Spirit’s Eve passed and winter came to Pelican Town. Since crops didn’t grow, I had a lot of free time. I spent most of it at Elliott’s house.  
One day in early winter, I knocked on his door and he answered with a somber expression on his face.  
“Oliver, I had a feeling you would show up,” he said. “Perhaps we’re connected by an other-worldly thread.”  
“Perhaps,” I smiled mysteriously. I laughed, but he only chuckled half-heartedly as he sat down heavily on his bed.   
“Is something wrong?” I asked.  
He sighed. “Sorry, I’m just feeling morose today. I wish there was more certainty about the future.”  
I nodded. “Me too.”  
“I don’t want to grow old as a lonely hermit on this beach…” He looked out the window. “I haven’t had an adventure since I finished my book… I need some excitement in my life…”  
He looked at me. “You’ve been to the mines before, right, Oliver?”  
“Yeah,” I said. “I go there on days I don’t have a lot of work to do and when I have good luck.”  
“So you know it pretty well?”  
“Yeah, I guess you could say that.”  
“Will you take me?”  
“Are you sure?” I asked, taken aback. “It can be really dangerous.”  
“I’m sure,” he said. “It would be something out of the ordinary.”  
I thought about it for a moment. “Okay, sure!” I said. “Sounds like fun!”  
It would have been a really bad idea to have a mining newbie go into the mines unarmed, so we were able to borrow a sword of Clint’s to use for the day.  
I had gotten all the way down to level 100, but we decided to try about level 30, just because Elliott had never gone before.  
We took the elevator down and began mining. Since I had the pickaxe, I broke up all the rocks we needed, but Elliott was extremely interested in exploring each floor. We did have to fend off a few Stone Golems, but Elliott was more than capable.  
“This is exciting!” he said to me as I broke up an aquamarine ore.  
“It is, isn’t it?” I said. I looked around. “Okay, that looks like all the ore on this floor. Let’s try and find the ladder.”  
After several minutes of searching, Elliott found a cluster of untouched rocks in a corner. “Try over here,” he suggested.  
Sure enough, the hole for the ladder was under only the third rock I broke. “After you,” I said, gesturing for Elliott to enter the hole.  
I followed him down the ladder and we began to scan the floor for ores, just as we had done for the last several floors.   
Suddenly, a green haze filled the air around us. I felt the blood drain from my face. “Oh no…” I said.  
“What?” asked Elliott. “What’s the m-” Before he could finish his sentence, a swarm of bats descended upon us from out of nowhere.  
Before we knew it, Elliott and I were swinging our sourds wildly in attempt to keep them from attacking us.  
“What’s happening?” cried Elliott.  
“This happens every so often,” I called back. “There’s not really anything we can do but just push through it.” I glanced worriedly at him. The bats were flying so erratically around him that he was having a hard time hitting them. I was barely able to take my eyes off my own situation, and I had experienced this swarm many times before.  
“Aah!” cried Elliott as a bat flew by and scratched him across the face.  
“Elliott!”  
“I’m okay,” he said. But I could tell he was overwhelmed. He was breathing hard and having difficulty swinging his sword.   
“Oliver,” he called. “I’m - Aah!” he interrupted himself as several bats flew straight at him, claws extended, teeth bared. They attached themselves to him, tearing at him with their claws and teeth. He was knocked over backwards and fell heavily onto the floor.  
“Elliott!” I screamed. I managed to make my way over to him and get the bats off of him.  
There were still a great number of bats swirling around, but I was able to kill them without too much difficulty.   
After they were all dead, I sighed in relief and sheathed my sword. Only then did I realize: Elliott hadn’t gotten up.  
I looked down. He was still lying on the floor, his shirt torn in multiple places. Several blood stains were beginning to spread.  
I kneeled down next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Elliott? Are you okay?”  
He didn’t move.  
I shook him. “Elliott?” I asked again, beginning to breathe hard. “Elliott, are you alright?”  
Still nothing.  
I felt my stomach drop. “Oh Yoba, Oh Yoba, Oh, Yoba,” I said in a panic. I unbuttoned his shirt. He had several deep cuts all over his chest and torso. I pressed his ruined shirt on them to try and stop the bleeding, but I wasn’t a doctor. I needed to get him to Doctor Harvey.  
At this point I was positively frantic. How was I going to get him up to the surface? I looked around the mine floor, blinking tears out of my eyes.  
Thank Yoba, we were on floor 35. There was an elevator. But as I looked at Elliott on the floor, I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to lift him. But I needed to try.  
I pulled him up into a standing position and let him fall against my back. I crouched down and, taking a deep breath, lifted him piggyback-style. His arms dangled down in front of me and his head rested on my shoulder.   
Slowly but surely, I made my way into the elevator and hit the button for the surface.  
I walked as fast as I could (which wasn’t very fast) to Harvey’s. It was about 9 o’clock at night at this point, so he was closed, but this was an emergency. I carefully pressed the buzzer by the door with my elbow.  
When nothing happened, I pressed it again. I heard some shuffling from behind the door, and it opened to reveal a pajama-clad Harvey. “What-” he began, but his mouth fell open when he saw me.  
“Hi, Harvey,” I said, the tears rolling down my cheeks. “We need your help.”  
Harvey helped me put Elliott down on one of the beds in his office and I explained what had happened. I was sweating and crying and jumpy just a mess.  
“My first order of business right now is you,” said Harvey as he washed his hands. He dried his hands on a paper towel and placed one on my forehead. “You’re clammy, pale, and very tense. You’re definitely in a mild state of shock.”  
He made me sit down, take some deep breaths, and take some slow sips of water. After I had calmed down a little bit, he said “Thank you for bringing Elliott in, Oliver, but I think you should go home now.”  
“No, no,” I said. “I’m- I’m fine, I can stay. I- I want to stay.”  
Harvey shook his head. “It’s late. You need rest. You need to go home. Doctor’s orders.”  
“B-But Elliott, is- is he gonna…?”  
“I’ll definitely have to keep him in overnight,” said Harvey. He took a deep breath. “He’s… got some pretty deep wounds.”  
I felt more tears cascading down my face.  
“But right now, I need you to go home and get some rest, okay?”  
“O-Okay…” I croaked. I managed to make my way home and crawl into bed. But I couldn’t make myself go to sleep. I kept tossing and turning fitfully.  
What would I do if I lost Elliott? I honestly didn’t know. It was a future I didn’t want to think about, but it was the future that was staring me right in the face.   
When I finally managed to go to sleep, my dreams were full of bats. I woke up at about four in the morning in a cold sweat.   
Since there was no way I could go back to sleep, I decided that I was up for the day. I spent the next several hours pacing around the farm, since Harvey’s didn’t open until 9, picking things up and putting them down again, and just being a general wreck. My brain wouldn’t stop spinning and my body wouldn’t stop moving. I just kept replaying the conversation we had had before the bats came down over and over in my head, wondering if it would be the last.  
I ended up waiting outside Harvey’s office for about an hour because I was too freaked out to do anything else.   
On the dot of 9 AM, I rang Harvey’s buzzer. After a few seconds, he opened the door and smiled. “Come on in,” he said. “He’s been asking for you.”  
I ran inside and turned the corner to Elliott’s bed.   
He was sitting up on the bed, looking down at the large bandage that covered one part of his bare chest. He suddenly looked up at me and stood up. “Oliver.”  
Relief filled my entire body and I burst into tears. I ran at him, threw my arms around him, and told him the one thing I would have wanted him to know if he hadn’t have made it.  
“I love you,” I said.  
“I love you,” he said.  
“I love you.”  
“I love you.”  
“I love you.”  
We stood there, squeezing the life out of each other, repeating those words over and over again.  
Finally, I pulled away and turned to Harvey. “Thank you,” I said. “Thank you so much.”  
“Just doing my job,” said Harvey modestly. He turned to Elliott, who was buttoning his shirt. “Just make sure you take it easy for the next couple of days and come back in two weeks so I can take the stitches out.”  
“Thank you, Doctor Harvey,” said Elliott. He took my hand. “Are we free to go?”  
“You are,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”  
“Bye, Harvey,” I said. “And thanks again.”  
“You’re welcome,” said Harvey as Elliott and I walked out the door.  
“How are you feeling?” I asked as Elliott as we started off towards his house.  
“Honestly, I’ve been better.”  
I laughed. “That’s understandable.”  
“Yeah,” Elliott agreed. “It’s a little sore in places, but not terrible. It could have been worse.”  
I took a deep breath. “Yeah… It could have. But I’m glad it’s not.”  
By this time we had reached Elliott’s house. I was about to open the door when Elliott stopped and took both of my hands in his.   
“Oliver,” he said. “Harvey told me all about it. About how you carried me to him yourself and how you didn’t want to leave when he told you to.” He rubbed my hands. “I just need to thank you… for everything you’ve done for me. You really… mean the world to me… and I don’t know what I would do without you. Because I truly love you with all of my heart.”  
He pulled me close and kissed me, tears streaming down both of our faces. All I could do was wrap my arms around him and whisper “I love you,” over and over again.  
We stayed there on Elliott’s doorstep for several minutes, just holding each other tight. And I could tell that neither of us wanted to let go.

* * *

 

“Dear Olver,

Tomorrow we’re all gathering in front of Marnie’s house for the Festival of Ice.  
It’s a celebration of winter… there’ll be snowmen, ice sculptures, and an ice fishing competition! Arrive between 9AM and 2PM if you’d like to participate.

-Mayor Lewis”

It was a couple days later, and Elliott was almost entirely back to normal. He still had a couple of nasty scars though, but he told me he actually thought they looked pretty cool. I did not. They gave me a bad feeling.  
Regardless, the Ice festival was bound to be a treat. I was a decently experienced angler, but there was Willy to contend with…  
The next day, I had a lot more work than I had expected. It took me a while to feed the animals, milk the cows, and gather the eggs, but after I got it all done, I headed down to Marnie’s Ranch. A large pond had been set up and had frozen over. Several large holes had been cut into the ice. Several ice sculptures and snowmen were on display, along with some igloos.   
“Alright, everyone,” Mayor Lewis was saying. “Let’s begin this year’s ice fishing competition.” He looked around. “Anyone else want to participate?”  
“I do!” I said, hurrying over to the ice pond.   
“Just time, Oliver!” he said. I looked around at my fellow contestants. They were Pam, Willy, - and Elliot. I smiled and waved at him, and he did the same.  
“Contestants,” said Mayor Lewis, “Your goal is to catch as many fish as you possibly can in two minutes using the provided fishing rods. You must catch your fish from here, from these holes in the ice.” He looked each contestant in the eye. “Well, is everyone ready?”  
“Yes!” we said.  
“Begin!”  
We jumped into action. I ran to the nearest hole in the ice and cast my line.   
Two minutes went by fast. When the time was up, Mayor Lewis blew a whistle. “Time’s up, everyone!” We all put our fish into a bin near each hole.  
“Wow, that’s a lot of fish!” exclaimed Mayor Lewis. He gagged. “... the smell…” he muttered. Then he cleared his throat. “Now, for the winner of this year’s ice fishing competition…”  
Wouldn’t it be funny, I thought to myself, if Elliott won the competition using the knowledge of fishing I gave him? I held my breath in anticipation.   
“...Oliver, with 6 big, slimy fish!”  
I gasped as everyone else began to applaud. I walked up to Mayor Lewis. “Here’s your prize!” he said. “Enjoy.” He handed me a package.  
“Thank you!” I said.  
“You’re welcome.” Mayor Lewis addressed the audience. “Well, that’s it for this year’s Festival of Ice. Thanks for coming, everyone!”  
With that, the crowd began to leave. I started to make my way across the pond, but the ice was extremely slippery underneath my worn shoes. Suddenly, my feet slipped out from under me and I fell, arms flailing, into the hole from which I had fished my 6 winning fish.   
The water was bitingly cold, but thankfully only a few feet deep. Maru rushed forward and helped me climb out.   
“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” she asked laughing.  
“Yeah, I’m alright,” I said, laughing as well. “Thanks for getting me out.”  
“No problem.”  
Suddenly, Marnie came rushing up to me. “Oh, you poor thing!” she exclaimed. “You come right inside and let me make you a cup of tea.   
She whisked me into her house, put a towel around my shoulders, and within minutes, I had a steaming mug of tea in my hands.  
“Boy, that was some tumble, huh?” said Shane.  
“No kidding,” I said, still shivering. Just then, there came a knock at the door.   
“Hi!” said Marnie when she opened it. “What can I do for you?”  
“Hello, Marnie,” came a familiar voice. “I just wanted to check on Olver, make sure he’s alright. Would that be okay?”  
“Of course!” she said. “Come on in.” She ushered in a snow-dusted Elliott, closing the door quickly behind him.  
He smiled at the sight of me, sitting on a bench in Marnie’s store, wrapped up in a towel and shivering to no end. “Are you alright, Oliver?” he asked.  
“You know, it’s a little cold for my tastes,” I said, “But other than that, I’m fine.”  
Elliott sat down next to me and tousled my drenched hair. He laughed at the result. “It suits you.”  
I smiled sheepishly and sipped my tea.   
“Heh,” laughed Shane, who was leaning on the wall across the room with his arms crossed. “You guys are tooo much,” he said with smile.  
I didn’t really know what to say to that, so I just drank some more tea.  
“Thank you so much, Marnie,” I said, “but I should probably get home and change.” I handed her her towel.  
“Oh, no,” she said. “You keep it for the walk back to your farm. There’s a lot of snow between here and there.”  
“Don’t worry, Marnie,” said Elliott, putting an arm around my soaked shoulder. “I’ll make sure he arrives safely at home without turning into an icicle.”  
“Alright,” laughed Marnie. “Take care, boys!’  
Elliott did manage to keep me from turning into an icicle, but just barely. When we got to my farmhouse door, I turned to Elliott.  
“Thanks for walking me home,” I said. “Now I need to change these clothes and start a fire!”  
“Well, warm wishes to you, good sir,” smiled Elliott. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”  
“See you tomorrow,” I said, and quickly ducked into the house. I put on my coziest pajamas and got the fire going in the fireplace, but I wasn’t sure if it would be enough…

* * *

“Oh no…”  
Sure enough, I woke up the next morning with a runny nose, sore throat, and a nasty cough. Being chilled to the bone had given me the worst cold I’d had in some time.  
There was no question of me leaving the house. I could hardly get out of bed. All I could do was eat cold cereal and lay in bed. I felt awful.  
The hours went by, and I spent them how I usually did while I was sick, watching TV. There wasn’t really anything good on, but it kept my mind occupied, at least. I hoped Elliott wasn’t worried about me. It was at least two hours after I normally arrived at his house.   
Suddenly, I heard a knock at the door. “Come in,” I croaked. The door opened to reveal Elliott with a concerned expression on his face.  
“Hi,” I said groggily.  
“Hi.”  
“I’m sick.”  
“I could tell, even before I saw you.” He sighed. “‘Today my forest is dark. The trees are sad and all the butterflies have broken wings’.”  
I sighed. “Say that again,” I murmured.  
Elliott smiled. “‘Today my forest is dark. The trees are sad and all the butterflies have broken wings’.” He sat on the bed. “Did you take your temperature?”  
“No,” I replied.   
He found the thermometer in the bathroom and popped it into my mouth. After a few minutes, I took it out and handed it to him. He looked at it and frowned. “101.”  
“That explains a lot,” I said, rubbing my forehead. “I feel like garbage.”  
Elliott smiled softly. “Now it’s my turn to take care of you,” he said. He then proceeded to straighten out the covers, fluff my pillow, and get a cold washcloth.   
“No, that’s okay, you don’t have to-” I started, but he interrupted me.  
“Shh…” he said, placing the washcloth on my forehead. I sighed and sank down into the pillow, closing my eyes.   
“Thanks,” I murmured.  
“Think nothing of it, my dear,” said Elliott, taking my hand and kissing it gently.  
I felt so crummy I didn’t do much talking, so we just watched TV for the next couple hours, with Elliott getting up now and again to refill my water glass.   
Before I knew it, I had dozed off. I didn’t have any dreams, and I was still hot, even in my sleep.   
After a while, my eyes blearily blinked open. I didn’t know how much time had passed, but it was dark outside.  
Just then, I noticed Elliott. He was still here, stretched out horizontally across the bed, fast asleep, clothes and shoes and all.  
I smiled weakly to myself, reached out a hand, and placed it in his. He didn’t even notice.

When I managed to go back to sleep, I did stay asleep for a while. When i woke up, I could tell it was late morning. The sun seemed quite high in the sky and the room was very bright.  
“Good morning, sunshine,” said Elliott, sinking down onto the bed. He placed a hand on my forehead. “How are you feeling?”  
“Not great,” I croaked.   
“Would some pancakes make you feel a little better?”  
“You made food?” I asked, still a little disoriented.   
He laughed. “Yes. Would you like some?”  
“Sure.” I started to get out of bed, but Elliott stopped me.  
“No, no, no, stay there. I’ll bring it to you.”  
“Oh. Thank you.” I collapsed back onto my pillow while Elliott went off to the kitchen. HE came back with a couple of pancakes on a plate and a fork and knife. “Thank you,” I said again as I took them and slowly began to eat.  
“I can’t believe you didn’t leave when I fell asleep,” I said.  
“Well, I couldn’t just leave my sick boyfriend all alone, now could I?”  
I smiled down at my pancakes. “I actually woke up in the middle of the night and saw you asleep. It was a nice surprise.” I looked back up at Elliott. “It was… nice… just… having you around… all the time. You know?”  
He smiled and nodded. “Yes… I quite liked it as well.”  
As we stared into each other’s eyes, i felt that urge to kiss him that I had felt so many times return. But this time, I didn’t have to use every ounce of my willpower to resist. I smiled and beckoned him with my hand. “C’mere, you.” He leaned closer to me and I kissed him square on the lips.  
“Oh, shoot!” I said. I covered my mouth with my hand. “I totally forgot. I hope I didn’t get you sick.”  
Elliott smiled, his face still close to mine. “I don’t care,” he said kissing me right back.  
We spent that day much the same way we had the last, with a lot of lying around and watching TV. But I actually had a bit more energy that day than I had the previous, so there was a great deal more talking, which was nice.  
Elliott ran and got us takeout from the saloon for lunch, but when dinnertime rolled around he wanted to cook something.   
“Let me help,” I said.  
“No,” Elliott insisted. “You need to rest. Plus, I don’t think a sick person should be handling food.”  
I flopped back down on the bed. “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.”  
Elliott smiled. “I can tell you’re getting better when you start acting like a wounded tiger.”  
“I am not acting like a wounded tiger,” I pouted.  
I ate some vegetable medley that Elliott had made, but I was getting antsy. “I don’t even want to go to sleep,” I said to Elliott. “I’ve been in this bed for too long.”  
“One more good night of sleep should be enough to get you back on your feet,” Elliott encouraged. “By tomorrow you should be fine.”  
“Fine.”  
Elliott insisted on staying at my house again in case I needed something in the night, so I insisted that he sleep on the couch. It couldn’t have been comfortable for him to sleep horizontally across a bed the previous night. After much tossing in turning, I was finally able to get to sleep myself.  
The next morning, I was awake before Elliott. I felt great. I took my temperature, and my fever was gone. So I started making breakfast.  
Elliott woke up when I started making noise in the kitchen. He came in and hugged me from behind. “You feeling better?” he asked.  
“Much,” I said. “Let’s eat some breakfast.”  
After we ate and did the dishes, Elliott paused. “Well… I guess I should go home now,” he said.  
I couldn’t hide the disappointment on my face. “Right. Of course,” I said anyway. “You’ve been away from your house for too long.” i walked him to the door.  
“Thanks for taking care of me,” I said as we stood by the front door. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”  
He smiled. “It was my pleasure,” he said, kissing my cheek. He walked down the porch steps, looked back, and waved. I waved back.  
In that moment, I realized something: I didn’t want Elliott to leave.  
What if something like what happened in the mines happened again? When would I be able to tell him what I had known for so long? There was only one thing I knew in that moment.  
I wanted to marry Elliott.

* * *

There was only one problem with this epiphany: The book at the library said that the ghost who sells Mermaid’s Pendants appears on “stormy days”. I was pretty sure that meant rain. And it didn’t rain in winter.   
On the next snowy day I went to the beach to check anyway, and sure enough, there was no ancient mariner in sight.   
Shoot.  
I guessed I had no choice but to wait it out.  
It was going to be a long winter.  
I tried to keep busy as much as possible to distract from the long wait, so I spent a lot of time with friends, especially since there wasn’t as much work to do on the farm in winter. I played Solarian Chronicles: The Game with Sam and Sebastian, hung out with Leah while she worked on her sculptures, and, of course, visited Elliott every day. It was good to have things to take my mind off of the long winter ahead of me, but it always stayed in the back of my mind.  
It was also agonzing to have a secret. I wanted to run out and tell the world, but I knew I couldn’t do that. But it was so hard to keep my lips zipped.  
And then… it happened. Right in the middle of Sam’s, Sebastian’s, and my weekly scenario of Solarian Chronicles: The Game.  
We had been just about to enter a dark and foreboding cave, when Sebastian’s computer made a sound.  
“Oop, hold on guys. One second.” He got up from the table and went to the computer. He looked at the screen, sighed, and put his head in his hands.  
“What’s the matter?” asked Sam.  
“Ugh… the company I’m freelancing for doesn’t like my latest module,” said Sebastian. “They’ve sent me a whole long list of stuff they want me to change.”  
“Aw, that sucks, dude,” said Sam.   
“When do they want it done by?” I asked. “Should we stop playing so you can change it?”  
“Naw, it’s okay,” said Sebastian, sitting back down at the table. “I can work on it later.” He sighed. “Man, it seems like every little thing in your life can spiral out of control at any moment.”  
“I know, right?” asked Sam. “I thought that a lot when my dad got deployed.”  
“Yeah,” I agreed. “A lot of stuff in my life is pretty uncertain too. I mean, my animals could get sick, anything in my 100-year-old farmhouse is liable to break, Elliott might say no-” I gasped and covered my mouth with both hands.  
Sam looked shocked. Sebastian looked smug.  
“What was that?” asked Sam slowly.  
“Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!” I said, waving my hands frantically. “Nothing. It was nothing.”  
Sebastian smiled slyly. “You’re not fooling anybody, mister,” he said. “Is somebody planning on popping a pretty big question?”  
I felt my face turn beet red. “I can’t believe I let that slip out.”  
“I can’t believe it!” Sam was still freaking out. “My best friend, getting married? This is unreal!”  
I made a face. “Thanks.”  
“No, no, no, that’s not what I meant - I just meant - wow!”  
“There’s nothing to get all excited about,” I said. “I haven’t even done anything yet.”  
“But you’re planning on it,” said Sebastian. “Right?”  
I nodded. “I have to wait until after winter though. I can only get a Mermaid’s Pendant when it’s raining.”  
“Hold up,” said Sam. “I’m still in shock over here.” He looked me in the eye, a grin slowly spreading across his face. “So. You’re in love with Elliott?”  
“Yeah,” I said, my face turning pink. “Yeah, I am.”  
Sam leaned back in his chair and looked up at the ceiling. “Man, that must be great.” He looked back at me. “You’re both lucky guys.”  
I nodded. “I know.”  
“I assume you want to keep it a secret, right?” asked Sebastian.  
“Yeah,” I said. “I really don’t want it going around.”  
“Don’t worry,” said Sam. “You can count on us. Right, Seb?”  
“Right,” Sebastian confirmed. “Not even my mom will be able to get it out of me. And believe me, she’ll be asking a ton of questions about the commotion Mr. Super Saiyan over here was making.”  
I smiled. “Thanks, guys,” I said. “I appreciate it.”  
We finished the scenario without any other incidents, and ended up getting a B+ rating.  
“Hey, not bad!” said Sam. “I hope you’ll still come play with us after you’re married, Oliver.”  
“Guys, I don’t know if I’m getting married yet,” I pointed out. “He could very well say no.”  
Sebastian scoffed. “Please. You guys are made for each other.”  
“Yeah,” Sam agreed. “There’s no question of his saying no.”  
I gave a small smile. “I hope so.” I looked at the clock. “Holy cow, it’s late.”  
“Yeah,” Sam yawned. “My mom’ll probably be wanting me home.”  
“Alright,” said Sebastian. “Good game today, you guys.”  
“Thanks, Sebastian!” said Sam and I as we headed out the door.  
We were just about to part ways in front of Sebastian’s house when Sam stopped me. “Seriously,” he said. “You know there’s not a shadow of doubt that he’ll say yes, right?”  
I shrugged. “I mean…”  
Sam shook his head. “You’ve gotta have more confidence, dude. You’re a great guy. I know it. Seb know it. And Elliott knows it. Just relax.”  
I smiled. “Thanks, Sam. Thanks for being such a great friend.”  
“Don’t mention it, man,” said Sam, giving me a hug. “I’ll see you later.”  
“See you.” I waved as he walked off towards my farmhouse.  
Could it be that they were right? I mean, two votes of confidence from my best friends couldn’t be that far off, right?  
I sure hoped so.

* * *

The winter plodded on. I had no idea how boring farming would be when there were no plants to farm. So the time went very, very slowly.  
Besides take care of my animals, there wasn’t much else to do but wander aimlessly around town and eventually end up at Elliott’s house and just lie around.  
Frankly, it was getting a little boring.  
Eventually, one day, when we were just loafing around his house, Elliott sat straight up.  
“We need to do something.”  
“Yes!” I said. “What?”  
Elliott furrowed his brow. “I don’t know. Do you want to just… walk around and see what we get up to?”  
“Sure,” I agreed. “Better than nothing.”  
We left Elliott’s house and walked away from the beach, hand in hand.  
We didn’t actually end up doing anything for a while, just wandered around, the snow crunching beneath our feet.  
We eventually ended up in the mountains near Sebastian’s house, outside of which we saw Maru, all bundled up. She waved to us.  
“Hey guys!” she called.  
“Hello, Maru,” said Elliott. “What are you doing?”  
“Building a snow goon!” she smiled, pink-cheeked from the cold. “It’s really fun.”  
I looked over at Elliott. He looked at me. “That does sound like fun,” I said. “Should we try it?”  
“Of course!” said Elliott.  
We picked a spot with a lot of snow and began to roll the base of our snow goon.   
“Let’s make it really big,” said Elliott, struggling to roll the huge ball that had formed. I helped him push until it wouldn’t go any farther.   
“One down, two to go!” I said, standing back from the base of our snow goon. “Luckily we don’t have to roll those as big.”   
Once we had constructed the bare snow goon, it was time to decorate.  
“Alright, we need eyes. What can we use for eyes?” I asked, looking around.  
After a few moments, Elliott found some holly. “What about these?” he asked, pulling two berries from the stem.  
“Perfect!” I cried as he stuck them on.  
We used a curved stick for the mouth, and Maru let us use one of her carrots for the nose. We chose one of the gnarlier-looking ones.  
Elliott examined our snow goon thoughtfully. “Hmm… It doesn’t look very goon-like, does it?”  
“Hmm…” I picked at the lichen on a nearby tree in thought. “Hey, how about this?” I pulled it off the tree. “Hair?”  
“Great idea, Oliver!” said Elliott. He picked up a couple of withered old sticks from the ground. “And antennae!”   
“Awesome!” We put the hair and antennae on our goon.   
“I’d say that looks like a pretty good snow goon, if I do say so myself,” I said, standing back to admire it.  
“Oh my gosh, it does!” said Maru, who had come over to observe. “You guys did great.”  
“Thank you, Maru,” said Elliott. “I have to say, I’m extremely proud of our little goon.”  
‘Me too,” I said. “But rolling those balls out was a lot more work than I thought! I’m still breathing hard!” I flopped over backwards into the snow in exhaustion. I laid there, spread-eagle, and stared back up at Elliott.  
“That looks nice, actually,” he said, and followed suit, falling on the ground right next to me.  
We laughed. “Oh no, my coat’s getting wet!” I said, slowly getting up. “I’m going to try and get up without messing up the indentation.”  
Sure enough, there was the perfect outline of an Oliver in the snow where I had been. Elliott did the same, and there were two little snow angels in the shape of two boyfriends.  
Elliott rubbed his hands together. “Brr… I’m getting cold.”  
“Me too,” I said. “Shall we go to my house and I can make us a hot drink?”  
“Sounds toasty,” said Elliott, smiling.  
It wasn’t that far back to my house, but we were both freezing, so it felt like it was a lot farther.  
When we got there, I got the blanket off my bed while Elliott started to make a fire. “Here,” I said, and threw the blanket to him. It landed on top of him, and he poked his head out.   
“Thank you.”  
I went to the kitchen and got each of us a mug of cocoa, then returned to the fireplace. I handed Elliott one of the mugs and sat down next to him.  
“Any warmer?” I asked as he sipped the cocoa.   
“Much, thank you,” he said, the steam from the cocoa rising up in front of his face. “You?”  
“I’m getting there.”  
“Well, let me help.” Elliott reached around me and wrapped the blanket around me, then slipped his arm back under the blanket and around my waist. “Better?”   
“Mm hmm,” I sighed. I leaned into him, absorbing the warmth from the fire, the cocoa, and him.  
For a split second, I wondered if I should say something. But then I realized - I didn’t need to. The situation was beyond words. I didn’t need to fill it with anything. It was plenty full as it was.  
I did say one thing, however, as I stared into the fire.   
“I love you.”  
Elliott kissed the top of my head. “I love you too,” he said as warmth enveloped us both.

* * *

“Dear Oliver,

I would like to give you some information about an upcoming event: the Feast of the Winter Star. It’s a time for the community to come together and think back on all the good fortune we’ve had this year. A favorite tradition is the ‘secret gift exchange’, where everyone in town is randomly assigned to someone else. On the day of the festival, everyone brings a gift for their secret friend and surprises them with something special!  
This year, your secret friend is: Marnie.  
Don’t tell anyone! The feast will take place on the 25th from 10AM to 2PM at the town square. See you then!

-Mayor Lewis”

On the day of the Feast of the Winter Star, I was all prepared with a large box with a pink cake that I had had baked to give to Marnie. So at 10AM on the 25th of winter, I headed off to the town square.   
The whole square was gorgeous, with candy canes, tables piled high with delicious food, and a huge spirit tree right in the middle. I immediately spotted Marnie standing with Mayor Lewis next to a huge pile of presents. I approached her.  
“Hi, Marnie,” I said.  
She turned and smiled. “Oliver! Merry Winter Star!”  
“Merry Winter Star!” I repeated. “So, I’m your secret gift-giver, so I brought you something.” I handed her the box.   
“Oh, you are!” she said, taking it. “Thank you!” She opened it. “Oh, my goodness! It looks beautiful!” She looked back up at me. “Thank you!”  
“You’re welcome,” I said. “Merry Winter Star!” I waved and walked away towards the tables and tree.  
I spent the next several minutes talking to friends and eating food. After a while, I found Elliott, talking with Gus and Leah.  
“Why, hello Oliver,” he said. “It’s chilly, isn’t it?”  
“It sure is,” I said. “But - Merry Winter Star!”  
“Merry Winter Star!” said Elliott, Gus, and Leah.  
“Gus was just telling us about his famous candy cane recipe,” said Leah.  
“Ah, yes,” said Gus. “It’s an ancient tradition, candy cane making. Would you like to hear about it?”  
“I’m sure he’d love to,” Elliott interrupted, “But I actually need to speak with him for a moment -” He turned to me. “If that’s alright with you.”  
“Yeah, sure,” I said quickly. I knew Gus had a habit of rambling, especially when it came to cooking so I was eager to escape. “I’ll talk to you guys later,” I said to him and Leah.  
Elliott led me over to the spirit tree. He picked up a small box from underneath it and held it in his hands.  
“Oliver, I'm your secret gift-giver this year,” he said. He handed me the box. “Here, open it,” he said with a smile.  
“Thank you!” I said, beginning to unwrap the box. I lifted the lid, and inside, nestled in tissue paper, was a single, perfect ruby.  
I gasped. “Oh, Elliott…” I stared at it. “...It’s beautiful.”  
Elliott smiled. “It’s not much, but I’m glad you like it.”  
“What do you mean it’s not much? It’s gorgeous! I love it! I love you!” I cried, throwing my arms around him.  
He laughed and hugged me back. “I love you too,” he said, running his hand through my hair. “Merry Winter Star.”  
“Merry Winter Star!”  
When I got home late that night, I placed the ruby on a small table in my living room to keep alway. Then I fell, exhausted, into bed.  
Spring was right around the corner…

* * *

On the first morning of spring, my eyes snapped open.   
Finally.  
I did know that I still had to wait a little longer for it to rain. But at least the long winter was finally over.  
I hopped out of bed, and the first thing I did was rush to the TV. I turned it on, and a smiling man appeared next to a map of the Ferngill Republic.  
“Welcome to KOZU 5,” said the man. “Your number one source for weather, news, and entertainment. And now, the weather forecast for tomorrow…”  
“It’s going to rain all day tomorrow.”  
My jaw dropped.   
I couldn’t believe my luck.  
My heart started beating fast. This was it. This was happening. Holy cow. One day.  
I made myself take a deep breath. Don’t freak out. Everything’s going to be fine.  
Regardless, it was the first day of spring, which meant lots of debris to clear out and new seeds to buy. So my morning would end up being pretty busy.  
I got to work, clearing away the rocks and sticks that had appeared overnight and hoeing several plots of ground for my new crops.  
I spent most of the day working hard, clearing out the farm, cutting grass to fill my silo back up after the winter, planting and watering my new spring crops, so it was pretty late when I was finally done. I was also really tired, so I went to bed soon after I got home to try and calm myself down.

The pitter-patter of the rain on the roof woke me up the next morning. I laid in bed for a few moments, just listening to it.  
“It’s about time.”  
I got out of bed and went outside. I still had work to do, after all.  
Since it was raining, I didn’t have to water any plants, but I did have animals to take care of. I went and fed them, then milked the cows and gathered the eggs.  
By the time I put everything in my outgoing bin, it was about 10 in the morning. Time to go.  
I made my way through town in the pouring rain to the beach. When I got there, I glanced warily at Elliott’s cabin. I really didn’t want him to see me. I edged past and made it to the bridge.   
And there he was. The ghost of the old mariner. “Ah…” he croaked when he saw me. “You’re back.”  
“Mm hmm.”  
“I assume you’re looking to buy one of my beautiful Mermaid’s Pendants,” he said.  
“That’s right,” I said. “And I have the money this time.” I handed him the 5000 gold, and he slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a gorgeous blue shell on a thin chain.  
“There ye go, lad,” he said, handing it to me. “Use it well.”  
I took it from him. The shell sparkled, even in the rain. Just looking at it made my heart flutter. “Th-Thank you,” I said, but when I looked up, he was gone.  
I stared at the pendant in my hand and felt a touch of uneasiness. Should I do it? Should I wait?  
But in that moment, I realized: No. I wasn’t going to wait. If I got hit by a bus tomorrow, I would want him to know how I felt today. Now that I knew that, why would I wait a year or six months or even one more day? I had to tell him right then.  
I thought about running home to change into a nicer outfit, but I couldn’t even wait one more minute.  
And his house was right there.  
I went up and knocked on the door. I hadn’t planned a speech or anything, I had no idea what I was going to do, and I was barely keeping it together.  
Elliott opened the door. “Oliver!” he said. “Oh my goodness, you’re soaked! Come in.” I stepped inside. My heart was beating the fastest it had ever beat.  
Elliott gave me a troubled look. “Is everything alright?” he asked.  
“Um, yes,” I said. “Yes, everything’s fine.” I took a deep breath. “Okay, I need to tell you something, but I need to actually say it.”  
Elliott looked confused. “What do you mean?”  
“I mean… when I first met you, I was really scared to talk to you,” I said. “I wanted you to think that I was the kind of person you might like… and if I talked to you, I might mess up and ruin it. And even when I asked you to be my boyfriend, I didn’t even say it because I was too scared.” I gulped.  
“So if I’m going to say what I want to say, I need to earn it. I need to actually say it.”  
Elliott smiled and took my hand. “It’s okay,” he said. “You can say whatever you need to say.”  
I laughed, squeezing a few tears out of my eyes. “See, this is exactly what I mean,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Whenever I’m with you, whenever you hold my hand or anything like that, it makes me feel like I can do anything. Because you are… everything to me. You really are. And…” I wiped a tear from my eye.   
“I always knew I loved you, but I didn’t know that I... couldn’t live without you until… I almost lost you. And I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how precious you are to me.”  
My whole body was shaking as I got down on one knee. I saw Elliott’s jaw drop. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the Mermaid’s Pendant. I held it in the palm of my hand. Then I looked up at Elliott, tears streaming down my face.  
“Will you marry me?”  
Elliott’s open mouth turned up into a smile. He laughed and wiped his eye. “Oliver…” he said, “I need to show you something…” With that he reached into his coat pocket…  
And pulled out an identical Mermaid’s Pendant.  
My mouth fell open. I looked at Elliott, open-mouthed as tears ran down his face, and seeing him cry just made me cry even harder.   
I was too wobbly to get up, so I just sat down on the floor. Elliott sat down next to me and we held each other, covering each other’s faces with kisses. I placed my Mermaid’s Pendant around Elliott’s neck, and he did the same for me.  
“That was the longest winter of my life,” I said, admiring my Mermaid’s Pendant.  
“Mine too,” said Elliott. “The rain on my roof was a welcome sound this morning.” He smiled at me and placed his hand on top of mine. “This is going to be such an adventure!” he said. “I’m really excited. Aren’t you?”  
“Of course!” I said. “It’s going to be amazing. I just know it.”  
“We’re going to make a great pair,” said Elliott, blushing slightly.  
“We sure are,” I said, giving Elliott, my fiancé, a kiss. 

* * *

In a mere three days, it was the big day. The whole town gathered in the square, there were flowers, I was all dressed up, and we were getting married!  
Elliott and I stood under a beautiful archway as Mayor Lewis addressed the town.  
“When Oliver first arrived in Pelican Town, no one knew if he’d fit in with our community…” he bega. “But from this day forward, Oliver is going to be as much a part of this town as any of us!”  
Elliott reached out and squeezed my hand.  
“It is my great honor on this day 5 of spring, to unite Oliver and Elliott in the bonds of marriage,” Mayor Lewis continued. Then he turned to us. “Well, let’s get right to it!”  
Elliott faced each other and each of us took the other’s hands in our own.  
“Do you, Elliott, take Oliver to be your lawfully wedded husband?” asked Mayor Lewis. “To love, honor, and care for him, as long as you both shall live?”  
“I do,” said Elliott, smiling at me.  
“And do you, Oliver, take Elliott to be your lawfully wedded husband? To love, honor, and care for him, as long as you both shall live?”  
“I do,” I said, a tear sliding down my cheek.  
“Oliver, Elliott…” said Mayor Lewis. “As mayor of Pelican Town, and regional bearer of the matrimonial seal, I now pronounce you husband and… well, husband!” he exclaimed. “You may kiss.”  
Elliott placed both of my hands on my face, I put mine around his waist, and we shared our first kiss as a married couple.   
The crowd burst into applause. Confetti flew into the air.  
Elliott looked at me and smiled, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. “This is it,” he said. “What we do now, we do together, right, love?”  
“Right,” I said, laughing and crying simultaneously. “I can’t wait!”  
Life is going to be different from now on…  
But the future looks bright!

 

* * *

Marriage felt 100% natural. Elliott and I living together was barely any different from the time I was sick, except I wasn’t sick. I was feeling pretty great, in fact.  
Elliott had brought some things from his cabin to the farmhouse, which mostly consisted of books. He started setting them up in some bookshelves the day after the wedding.  
I came up from behind him and put a hand on his shoulder as he did so. “I’d love to help you, but I need to be getting to work.”  
“Oh, of course!” he said. “You go do that.”  
I squeezed his shoulder. “Thanks.”  
“Oh, wait,” he said. “Before you go…” He faced me and pulled a slip of paper out of his pocket. He cleared his throat.  
“When I behold thy wondrous face, a precious jewel of form and grace, my heart… torn by the dread of night, is purified with golden light.”  
My mouth fell open.  
“Poetry is the only way I can begin to describe my feelings for you,” he said, pink-cheeked. He placed a hand on my cheek. “From the brightest winter star, to the shimmer of an iridium vein… nothing can compare to my wonderful man.”  
I was speechless. I couldn’t believe what was happening. When I finally regained the ability to speak, I was still at a loss for words. “I… don’t know what to say,” I finally said.  
Elliott smiled, looking deep into my eyes. “You don’t have to say anything,” he said, pulling me close and kissing me.  
I melted into his arms. “You still make my knees wobble.”  
It took tremendous mental strength to drag myself outside. What finally got me out the door was knowing that when I came back, Elliott would be there waiting for me.  
After a couple hours, I saw him open the farmhouse door and come out onto the porch. He waved and called to me. “Oliver! Come and take a break.”  
I went over and joined him on the porch. “Get all your books set up?” I asked.  
“Yes,” he said. “And now I’ve come outside for a bit of fresh air.” He took a deep breath in through his nose. “What a beautiful day.”  
“It really is,” I agreed, looking up at the sky. “I’ve always loved spring.”  
“Me too,” I said. “It’s strange, but I often have cravings for pomegranate in the spring.”  
I raised my eyes. “Is that so?”  
“Oh yes. Pomegranates are by far my favorite fruit.”  
“Wait right there,” I said with a smile. With that, I marched down the porch steps and down the road towards town. I entered Pierre’s and came out a few minutes later with something large and heavy over my shoulder.  
“What is that?” asked Elliott in surprise as I walked past the house. I smiled at him and kept going. He followed me as I walked to the other side of the silo next to the house. I dug a hole in the soil and placed the something in it. I straightened its trunk and fluffed up its leaves. Finally, I stood back and smiled at Elliott. “Pomegranate sapling.”  
Elliott placed a hand to his heart. “Of, how sweet of you!” he said. “It will be a living symbol of our growing love for each other.”  
I wrapped my arms around his neck. “I couldn’t have said it any better myself.”

* * *

A few days later, it was raining again. I had done the chores for the day and decided to go on a walk. I asked Elliott if he wanted to come.  
“I think I’ll remain indoors today, my dear,” he said. “The rain causes my hair to go limp.”  
“Alright,” I said, hugging him. “I’ll see you later.”  
I walked through the farm, enjoying the coolness of the rain against my face. I made my way past Marnie’s Ranch and into Cindersap Forest. More water dripped from the trees and fell on my head. It was nice to spend some time alone in nature. I hadn’t done that in a while.  
As I approached the cliff that marked the edge of the forest, I noticed something. I walked closer to hit. It was my good friend Shane. I had been worried about him lately. He had a continual negative outlook on like and spent most of his time at the saloon.  
To my horror, he was now lying on the ground next to the ravine, surrounded by empty cans. I ran over to him.  
“Shane?” I asked, touching his shoulder. “Are you okay?”  
He grunted. “Oliver…” he said. “I… I’m sorry…” he hiccupped.  
“Shane, what’s the matter?” I asked worriedly.  
He sighed. “M… My life… It’s a pathetic joke…” he mumbled. “Look at me… Why do I even try?” he sobbed. “I’m just too small and stupid to.. To take control of my life… I”m just a p… piece of soiled garbage flittering in the wind…”  
I felt my throat begin to close up in panic. “What are you talking about?” I asked. But he ignored me.  
“I’ve been coming here often lately… looking down…” he said. “Here’s a chance to finally take control of my life… These cliffs…”  
I was full-on panicking right now. But I tried not to show it.  
“B… bu… but I’m too scared, too anxious,” Shane continued. “Just like always…”  
He looked up at me through a corner of his eye. “Oliver… All I do is work, sleep, and drink… t… to dull the feelings of self-hatred. Why should I even go on? Tell me… T… Tell me why I shouldn’t roll off this cliff right now…”  
I was paralyzed. But I needed to say something. “Shane… I care about you,” I said. “I want you to be happy.” I sighed. “But the decision is your own. Just… know that I’m here for you.”  
“Thanks…” said Shane. “I appreciate that… I really do.”  
There was a pause.  
“Oliver…” said Shane.  
“Yes?”  
“...I think you should take me to the hospital now.”  
I jumped up. “Okay,” I said. “Can you stand up?”  
I helped him to his feet and we walked slowly to Harvey’s, Shane leaning heavily on me the whole way.   
A few minutes later, I was sitting in Harvey’s waiting room. Just then, Harvey came back in.  
“How is he?”  
“...I’ve pumped his stomach and re-hydrated his body,” said Harvey. “He’s going to be okay.”  
“Thank you.”  
“It’s good that you brought him in, though. Too much alcohol is terrible for the body…” Harvey sighed. “But right now I’m most worried about his mental health…”  
“Me too.”  
“When he comes to, I’ll have a chat with him about his treatment options,” Harvey continued. “I know an excellent counselor in Zuzu City…”  
“That’s good,” I said. “Thank you.”  
Harvey put his hand on my shoulder. “Life can be painful sometimes… But there’s always hope for a better future. You’ve got to believe in that.”  
I took a shaky breath. “Thanks, Harvey.” I gave him a small smile. “I’d better be getting home. Elliott will be wondering where I am.”  
“Alright,” said Harvey, opening the door for me. “Take care.”  
I walked back to the farmhouse in the pouring rain feeling an ache in my chest the whole way.  
“You’re back!” Elliott called as I opened the door. “What’s wrong?” he asked as soon as he saw me.  
“It… It’s Shane…” I said, rubbing my eyes. “I… He…”  
“Here, sit down,” said Elliott, putting an arm around my shoulder and guiding me to the couch. “What happened?”  
“I… I found him… by the cliffs… half-conscious,” I gulped. “He was… He was talking about…”  
“Oh dear,” said Elliott. “What did you do?”  
“I took him to Harvey’s,” I said, choking down a sob. “He’s going to… talk to him about counseling.”  
“That’s good,” said Elliott. He looked into my face and brushed my hair, still wet from the rain, out of my eyes. “What about you, my darling? Are you alright?”  
I blinked rapidly and sniffed. “Yeah, yeah… I’m… I’m alright.”  
“Why don’t you cry?” Elliott asked gently. “Holding back emotions never does a body any good.”  
“I cry much too much,” I said, tears spilling out of my eyes. “I… I shouldn’t…”  
“Shh…” said Elliott. He pulled me close. “It’s alright,” he whispered in my ear.  
I broke. I put my head down on his shoulder and sobbed. Elliott sat there quietly, stroking my hair.  
“Thank you,” I said finally. “I just… Thank you.”  
“Everything’s going to be okay,” he said. “I promise.” He kissed my forehead. “I love you.”  
“I love you too,” I said as I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, leaning deeper into him.

* * *

The next morning, the rain had gone. I woke up still not in the greatest mood. I got up and went to the kitchen to find Elliott making coffee. “Good morning!” he said.  
“Good morning,” I repeated, kissing his cheek.  
“Are you doing alright?”  
“Yeah,” I said. “I just…” I sighed. “I’m still worried.”  
“Me too,” said Elliott. He rubbed my back. “All we can do is just hope for the best and support him in any way we can.” He handed me a cup of coffee, and I sipped it and nodded.  
“You’re right,” I said. “As usual.” I finished my coffee and rinsed out the cup. “Well, I’d better get to work.”  
“I think I’ll do some writing today,” said Elliott. “Will you be okay without my help?”  
“Oh, sure,” I said. “Yeah, you go write. I’ll be fine.”  
“Alright,” Elliott smiled as he walked off towards his desk. “Don’t work yourself too hard.”  
“I won’t.” I blew him a kiss and opened the door. To my surprise, there was someone there on the porch.  
I gasped. “Shane!”  
“Hey…” he said.  
“How are you?”  
“I’m… better. Thanks for asking.” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Oh man… Uh… How do I say this?” He sighed. “I’m really sorry about what happened at the cliffs. That was… embarrassing.”  
“It’s okay,” I said. “I’m… glad I was there to help.”  
“Yeah…” said Shane. “Me too.” He looked me in the eye. “I’ve decided I want to see a therapist,” he said. “Harvey got me in touch with a colleague of his…”  
“That’s good,” I said.  
“Yeah…” Shane cleared his throat. “Anyway… I just wanted to thank you for taking care of me. And I want you to know that I’m going to take things a little more seriously from now on. I don’t want to be a burden on anyone…”  
I felt a pang in my chest when he said that. I placed a hands on his shoulders. “Shane,” I said. “You are not a burden on me. You’re my friend. And I care about you. I need you to know that.” With that, I wrapped my arms around him in a hug.  
“Thank you…” he said quietly.   
Just then, Elliott came out onto the porch. “Is someone there, Oliver?” he was saying. “Oh, hello, Shane,” he said when he saw him. “How are you doing?”  
“I’m getting there,” Shane smiled. “I was just telling Oliver that I’m going to start seeing a therapist.”  
“That’s wonderful, Shane!” said Elliott. “I’m so glad.”  
“Thanks,” said Shane. He shuffled his feet. “Alright, well… I gotta go to work.:  
I nodded. “Me too,” I said. I took Elliott’s hand. “And if you ever need anything…”  
“Right,” Elliott piped up. “Anything at all.”  
“You can always come to us,” I continued. “Okay?”  
“Thanks, guys,” Shane smiled. “I really appreciate it.” He waved and headed off in the direction of Joja Mart.   
Elliott and I waved back, then looked at each other. We both had looks on our faces that said “Everything is going to be fine,” Without even the need to say a word, we pulled each other close. Together, we really could get through anything life decided to throw at us.

* * *  
Spring was flying by. Before I knew it, it was the week before summer. I woke up on the morning of the 23rd to more rain. Elliott was standing in the kitchen, admiring a painting of the Calico Desert I had bought from the traveling merchant.  
“Good morning!” I said, hugging him from behind.   
“Good morning!” he said. He turned his head around to look at me. “I look forward to dancing with you tomorrow, my dear.”  
I gasped. “Oh, that’s right!” I exclaimed. “The Flower Dance is tomorrow!”   
Elliott smiled. “Yes,” he said. “I remember last year’s.”  
I felt my face go red. “Don’t remind me.”  
Elliott took both of my hands. “I had no idea what I was doing that day,” he said. “If I had known how much you would mean to me in so little time…”  
I smiled as I looked into his eyes. “It’s okay. I’m glad we can have a do-over now.”  
“Me too,” said Elliott, kissing me.

The next day, Elliott and I arrived at the forest, each dressed in the traditional blue suit. I felt the exact opposite of how I had one year ago that day, happy excited, and full of peace.  
We ate some delicious food, enjoyed the beautiful spring atmosphere, and spent time with friends.  
Before long, Mayor Lewis stepped out into the middle of the clearing. “Alright folks,” he said. “The time has come for the traditional Flower Dance! Everybody grab a partner and start warming up!”  
I smiled at Elliott and extended my hand. “Shall we?”  
He smiled back. “Yes…” he said, squeezing my hand. “Could I refuse that soft, kind face? The touch of spring-time’s sweet embrace?”  
I felt my insides glow with love. I led Elliott to the middle of the clearing and we each got in our own line, Elliott on the leader’s side, and I on the follower’s side.  
Then, the music started, and we began to dance. As we swirled and twirled around, I could only think of where I had been one year ago that day, and how far I had come.   
I wished I could have told my former self: “Hang in there. You don’t know it yet, but things are looking up. In a surprisingly short amount of time, you’re going to be the happiest you’ve ever been. So just be yourself. Things are going to turn out great. Trust me.”  
When the dance was over, Elliott and I just stood there for a moment, still holding each other.  
“Does that start to make up for all for all the time I spent ignorantly believing I didn’t love you?” Elliott asked.  
“Definitely,” I said, kissing my husband.

We walked back through the forest to the farmhouse, hand in hand. It was night now. We were both tired. Once we got home, we started getting ready for bed. Elliott sat on the bed, buttoning his pajama top. “Oliver…” he said. “I’ve been thinking…”  
“About what?” I asked.  
“About a couple of things. For one…” He got up and went to the hook where his coat was hung up and took his small notebook out of the pocket. “I thought of this earlier and wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget it,” he said, sitting back down on the bed. He opened the book. “I came to the valley to find the ivory tower from which my talents could rein supreme. But what I really found was a dungeon of loneliness. You saved me from that.”  
I sat down next to him and wrapped my arms around his neck. “It’s the same with me, in a way,” I said. “I came here to start my own life… to get away from it all. But when I met you, I realized that I wasn’t just trying to escape what I had in the city, I was trying to find something I had never had. And I found it in you.” I looked down at the floor. “Sorry if that’s really corny.”  
“No, it’s not,” said Elliott, taking my hand. “It’s absolutely endearing. It’s what I love about you. And it’s why I have an idea I want to share with you.”  
“What is it?”   
“It’s the other thing I’ve been thinking about.” He took a deep breath and rubbed my knee. “I’ve… always loved children. There’s… something so beautiful about a young human, full of purity and tenderness.” He looked at me. “How do you feel about children, Oliver?”  
I felt my heart speed up its pace. “I love them,” I said. “I always love spending time with Vincent and Jas, and I enjoyed babysitting my neighbor’s children when I was younger.” I looked at Elliott, a smile forming in the corners of my mouth. “Why do you ask?”  
“Well…” he said, “I ask because I wanted to ask you…” He looked me in the eye. “Should we adopt a baby, Oliver?”  
A wide grin split across my face. “I was hoping you’d say that!” I said, throwing my arms around him. “Yes!”  
He hugged me back. “I’m glad.” He grinned. “We’re going to be fathers,” he said. “Can you believe it?”

* * *

The next few weeks were exceptionally busy. Summer was in full swing now, there were crops to look after, animals to take care of, and, of course, lots and lots of paperwork to do. Elliott and I spent almost every night for several days filling it all out.  
We eventually got it all done and sent it off. Now there was nothing to do but wait.  
One morning a few days later, I woke up and went out onto the front porch to find Elliott already there. “Good morning!” I said.  
“Good morning!” he repeated. “I got up early and watered some crops for you. I hope it makes your job a little easier today.”  
“Aw, thank you, love?” I said, kissing his cheek. “It sure will!” I waved to him as I descended the porch steps. I petted all my animals, gathered the eggs, and milked the cows. After putting all the milk and eggs in my outgoing bin, I went to go water the rest of the crops.  
It only took me a few minutes to realize: There weren’t any crops for me to water. I smiled to myself and ran back up the porch steps. “You sweetheart,” I said, to Elliott, “You absolute darling, you didn’t water ‘some of the crops’, you watered all of them!”  
Elliott laughed, kissing me. “I sure did.” He put his arm around my waist and sighed, gesturing to the land before us. “My wildest dreams have come true…” he said. “Just look at this incredible landscape!”  
I rested my head on his shoulder. “Mm hm.”  
“Oliver?” I looked up at him. “I hope our adoption request gets approved. I want a baby.”  
“Me too,” I said as we stood enjoying the subtle warmth of the morning summer air.  
“Do you want to do something?” I asked.  
“Like what?”  
“Like anything. We haven’t been on a real date in a while. And since you did half the work this morning, there’s more time left in the day.”  
Elliott nodded. “That sounds like fun.” He smiled. “Let’s do it.”  
It being summer, we decided to head down to the beach. When I mentioned the idea, I saw Elliott’s ears perk up, so I knew it was the right option.  
We packed up a beach bag, changed into our swimsuits, and went off to the beach. We spread out our towels on the sand and just had a really good time, splashing in the water, looking for shells, and running around like a couple of little kids. We even built a sand castle, which I hadn’t done in ages.  
“I didn’t live near the beach, growing up,” I said to ELliott. “I really only went about once every couple of years.”  
“I’ve lived by the beach my whole life,” said Elliott. He laid down on his towel and looked up at the sky. “It was one of the reasons I was so excited to move to the valley. I was glad to be able to stay close to the sea.”  
I laid down next to him. “I can see what you mean,” I said. “There’s something so… idyllic about the beach.” I looked over at Elliott. “Is that the right word?”  
“Absolutely,” he said. “The beach seems to trigger every single sense for me. Sight, sound, touch, even smell. It takes me back to my childhood.”  
“Hmm…” I sighed, fingering my Mermaid’s Pendant, which I wore 24/7. I placed my hand in Elliott’s, and we both closed our eyes, feeling the sun on our skin and the sea breeze in our noses.  
Before long, it was late afternoon. We had eaten the lunch we had brought from home, but now it was time to think about dinner. We ended up following our noses, which led us, of course, to the saloon. Since it was a Thursday, there weren’t many people there, so we could appreciate each other’s company without the distraction of the hustle and bustle the saloon usually had.   
We ordered some seafood (since neither of us could get enough of the beach) and ate until we could eat no more. The jaunty music from the jukebox even inspired us to do a little dancing after the meal.  
By this time, it was getting late and time to head home. The air, which had previously felt like it had been baked in an oven, was now cool and pleasant. We said goodbye to Gus and started on the walk home.   
Through the forest we went, hand in hand. Neither of us had said anything for several minutes. There wasn’t a need to.  
We walked through the tall grass on the farm, stirring up fireflies as we went. There were never any of those in the city. I looked up at the stars, unobscured by light pollution.  
I couldn’t ever see those in the city either.  
Elliott looked over at me, and, seemingly sensing my reluctance to continue home, sat down in the tall grass. I followed suit, remembering something else that I didn’t have in the city.   
Still holding hands, we lay down in the grass, gazing up at the night sky marbled with stars. It was a sight I had never really noticed before that night.  
Elliott shivered as a cool breeze rustled the grass. I moved closer to him, wrapping my arms around him.  
I was reminded of our previous date, where we would reluctantly part and I would arrive home wishing he didn’t have to leave.  
But this time that wish was nonexistent.

* * *

Weeks passed slowly. The thought of the enormous event that was about to transpire hung over both of our heads all hours of the day. It was almost unbearable.  
We spent a lot of that time telling our friends about what was going to happen. Sam freaked out almost as much as he had when he found out I would be proposing to Elliott, Sebastian seemed relatively calm, and Leah literally squealed in excitement.   
We spent a lot of the rest of the time getting the house ready for the baby, setting up the nursery, baby-proofing, etc. When everything was done, all we could do was wait. And wait. And wait some more.  
And then, one night, while we were both just sitting around waiting, there came a knock at the door.  
Both of us sat bolt upright. Elliott jumped up and ran to the door. He opened it, and I heard a voice say “Hello, is this the residence of Mr. Oliver and Mr. Elliott?”  
“Yes!” said Elliott. I jumped up as well and hurried to his side. The woman at the door smiled.  
“On behalf of the Ferngill Republic Adoption Agency,” she said, “Allow me to congratulate you on your new baby boy.” She lifted a bassinet from the floor and held it up for me and Elliott to see.  
Inside, wrapped in a blanket, with a mess of curly brown hair on his head, was a tiny sleeping baby. It could only stare, agape. So could Elliott, it seemed.   
“Th-Thank you,” he finally managed to sputter. He took the bassinet from the woman, who nodded, smiled, and disappeared down the path.   
Elliott and I sat on the couch, placing the bassinet on the floor between us, saying nothing.  
“He’s so small…” I said, breaking the silence.  
“And so peaceful,” said Elliott. “I don’t even want to touch him.”  
We carefully carried the bassinet into the nursery. Elliott was too shaky to even move, barely, so I carefully, gently, lifted the baby out of the bassinet and into the crib, managing not to wake him up.  
We stood next to the crib in absolute silence.   
“He needs a name,” said Elliott finally.  
We had thought about names briefly before, but had decided to save the final decision for when we saw the baby. After bouncing a few ideas off of each other, we finally landed on a name.  
“Damian,” I said. “Tamer, peacemaker, gentleman. Our son, Damian.”

* * *

“‘You’ve been careless, Lu,’ Jenu smirked. ‘Your little slip-ups led us right to you.’”  
“What’s going on here?” Elliott asked.  
I looked up from “Blue Tower”. “Reading Damian his Papa’s book,” I said. I was lying on the living room couch, and Damian was lying on my chest. I ruffled his hair. “Jodi told me that it’s good to read to children from an early age.”  
“Ah!” Elliott smiled. “I agree. What part are you at?”  
“Jenu and his henchmen have cornered Lu on the top floor of the Mystique Hotel.”  
Elliott raised his eyebrows. “My! You’ve gotten that far?”  
I smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, we’ve been reading for… a while…” I glanced at the clock. “I, uh… haven’t actually done any of the farm work yet…”  
Elliott laughed and lifted Damian off of my chest. “How about you let me take care of things for a while? I think we’ll be okay on our own.”  
“Alright…” I said reluctantly. I got up from the couch, kissed my baby, kissed my husband, and headed towards the door.   
“Bye bye, boys!” I said.  
“Have fun storming the castle!” called Elliott as I stepped out onto the porch.   
I ended up having a lot more work that day than I thought I would. The tomatoes, the hot peppers, and the blueberries all needed harvesting, I needed to go to the desert to find a cactus fruit for Sam’s birthday, and I needed to pick up my newly upgraded axe from Clint.   
The whole times I was out, all I could think about was how much I wanted to be back home with Elliott and Damian. But I had work to do.  
And work I did. I worked so much, in fact, that it was quite late when I got back.  
At about 8 o’clock, I finally came up the path back to the farmhouse.  
I reached for the doorknob, but it turned on its own, the door swinging open to reveal Elliott, standing there waiting for me.  
“Hi-” I said, but was cut off as Elliott wrapped his arms around me and kissed me.   
“I feel burnt out in your absence,” he said. “But when I hear that sound of muddy boots on wood, my heart rises from the ash.”  
I brushed his hair away from his face. “Ah, my phoenix…” I said, pulling him close and kissing him again.   
“Is Damian asleep?” I asked.   
“Yes, I put him to bed an hour ago. He’s been fed, diaper changed, everything, I think.” He sighed. “Caring for babies isn’t exactly my strong suit… but I’ll do my best to be a good father.”  
“You’re doing great,” I reassured him.  
“Thank you,” he smiled. He breathed a deep breath. “The air is so much cooler at night…”  
“Yes,” I said. “It’s a welcome relief.” I looked at ELliott, and he smiled and held out his hand. I took it, and we sat down side by side on the porch. The fireflies glowed softly above the farm, the cool breeze blew against our faces, and we sat, in the peaceful stillness, watching the last few rays of the setting sun disappear behind the horizon, enjoying us, Oliver and Elliott, together.

And they lived happily ever after.

THE END


End file.
